The Eternal Rivalry and the Kimono Shop
by LadyPacMan
Summary: Guy and Kakashi love to compete with each other. One woman gets caught in the crossfire of their rivalry. Eventual Guy x OC.
1. Chapter 1

Rem has hated ninja for as long as she could remember, and yet she lived here in the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

She liked to keep the doors of her kimono shop closed. The shop was a small shop in Konoha which sold kimonos to the nobles when they came into town. Sometimes she sold kimonos to kunoichi when they were on a mission which required them but usually she preferred to deal with the nobles. The less she had to do with ninjas the better. That's precisely why she kept her doors shut. It was a bad business practice—she knew that—but her shop made enough money to close out that part of the world. A hole in the wall was her sanctuary.

She liked to keep her shop tidy. The floors were made of a light ash wood, which she polished every night before bed and tall, multi-colored kimonos stood on their display racks. There was a counter for the cash register and a small sitting area by the windows so her elite customers could converse with her over tea that she had imported from the Land of Tea itself. Rem had enough windows to let in natural light so the store had an ethereal glow about it.

Rem sat down in a chair and stared out the window. She sipped her tea as she watched the world go by as she daydreamed about mystical far-off lands.

She heard a loud crash outside her store and leapt out of her seat. She leaned over the table and looked out at the store. She tucked her pale blonde hair behind her ears and squinted her eyes to see out the window. She couldn't see anything from this perspective!

Rem shuffled over to the door in her geta sandals and cracked the door open. She gripped the collar of her yukata as she looked down the street and bit her lip. Would it be another note?

Instead she saw two grown men fighting each other. One was dressed head-to-toe in tree green and had black hair in a bowl haircut. The other had gravity-defying silver hair and his whole body was covered, save for his eye. Both men were wearing deep green jackets. She recognized those jackets—those were ninja jackets. They had the ninja head bands as well. Even though Rem liked to stay out of Konoha's affairs, she knew enough about this town to know that those ninja were Might Guy and Kakashi Hitake—the green beast and the copy ninja.

The green man and the silver haired man looked like they were…holding hands maybe? It was hard to tell. They seemed to be involved in some sort of a struggle. Their hands were moving at such a speed all Rem saw was a blur. They were being leaping back and fourth. At one point the silver haired man crashed into the wall. Then the green man. Then the silver man again. Finally they leapt back apart from each other.

"Well, Kakashi, it looks like I win again." The green man's—Might Guy's—booming voice filled the street.

"Oh well." Kakashi shrugged.

"Oh you and your cool indifference! You got to see the Power of Youth win again. It looks like you win at thumb wrestling this time, Kakashi Hitake."

 _So that's what they were doing. That seemed pretty violent for thumb wresting_. Rem thought to herself.

"…And it looks like we have some company." Both men turned to Rem. Rem shrunk back behind the shelter that the shade that her door provided.

"Sorry, ma'am, my Eternal Rival and I can get carried away sometimes. When two ninja try their hardest, even a simple thumb wrestling contest can turn into an epic battle."

"That's interesting." Rem politely said. "Well, I'll leave you and your 'Eternal Rival' to go about your business. Good day." Rem went to close her door.

"Wait." Kakashi said. He folded his arms. Rem bit her lip. "You looked like you were nervous about something or anticipating something. What is going on?" Kakashi asked evenly.

"Nothing." Rem quickly replied. "Nothing at all. Do not worry, please. It's nothing that I cannot handle myself. Good day." She went to close the door again.

"Wait, are you sure? We can help you. What do you say, Kakashi, should our next contest be seeing who can help this woman solve her problem first?" Guy smiled with gleaming teeth.

Kakashi shrugged.

"No, really, I am fine. Please, do not worry."

"Are you sure that it has nothing to do with this letter here?" Kakashi picked up a note that was placed on Rem's door step. The young woman averted her eyes to the ground.

Guy looked at her with an eager anticipation.

"…Alright." Rem responded after a long pause. She opened her door. "Come inside." Rem cracked open the door more and gestured to the inside of her shop.

Rem hated ninja.


	2. Chapter 2

Rem shuffled back into her shop. Kakashi and Guy lumbered in behind her. Once they were inside the two men looked around inside the kimono shop. She could tell that they weren't admiring the shop's aesthetics—they were looking for clues. Making deductions. Looking for strengths and weaknesses. Rem gestured over to her sitting area and the two men sat down. They looked like giants sitting in her small, delicate furniture. Rem gently poured the two men cups of tea. The bitter smell filled the shop.

"Do you mind?" Kikashi asked, holding the letter between his nimble fingers.

"Go ahead." Rem twisted her lip. Yes, she hated ninja. She hated needing help too. But, she was in a bad situation and it looked like those men wouldn't go away anytime soon anyways.

Kakashi opened the letter. "My dear, sweet Rem," Kakashi read out loud. "You did very well polishing your floors last night. Sometimes I think you love that store more than me. It makes me jealous. I see you don't have many customers. Maybe I'll stop and pay you a visit sometime. Take care, my sweet." Kakashi flipped the letter over and looked over at Rem and Guy. "It's unsigned." He placed the letter on the table. Guy picked it up.

Rem stood over in the corner silently. Her hands were folded gently over her obi.

"How long has this been going on?" Guy asked. His whole tone changed to one of serious; he seemed so different than how he was outside with his 'arch rival.' Before, his voice sounded very dynamic but it now sounded serious.

"I've been receiving letters a few times a week for about a month now."

"I won't ask why you didn't report this activity earlier." Kakashi said.

Rem opened her mouth and then shut it again. She had the urge to respond and to say what was really on her mind but she didn't want to come off as rude so she stayed silent.

"Never mind that. We won't let this person's unyouthful activity go unpunished!" Guy stood up. His chair got knocked out from underneath him from the sheer force of his upward leap. Rem winced when she saw the chair hit her polished floor. She reached her hand out and then curled it back in front of her mouth. Guy picked up the chair and sat it back in its upward position.

"I prefer to keep my affairs private." Rem diplomatically stated. "I have kept this situation under control for the last month. However the frequency of the letters have increased as of late."

"Do you have any idea of who might be sending you these letters?" Kakashi asked.

"…No. I don't leave my shop much and I have a very…particular pool of customers that consist namely in nobles." Rem swallowed the lump in her throat. "So no, I don't know who could be doing this."

"Are you sure? Does anyone hold a grudge against you or something?" Guy asked.

"Not that I am aware of." Rem bit her lip. "Maybe this was a bad idea. I-I can solve this myself." Rem walked over to the door and gestured to the exit. "Good day."

Kakashi and Guy exchanged glances and walked over to the door.

"Thank you for the tea; it was delicious." Guy smiled with twinkling tea.

"You are welcome." Rem opened the door. "By your leave."

The two ninja walked out the door. Rem closed it behind them and let out a sigh. She went over to the sitting area and quickly removed the extra tea cups and polished up the sitting area table. She checked the floor for scratch marks to see if the green beast did any damage to her floor. Luckily he didn't. _Careless ninja_. She thought to herself.

Kakashi leaned his back against the outside store façade. He looked over at Guy, who folded his arms together. The two men were silent until Kakashi spoke up.

"I think there is more to this story than meets the eye." Kakashi said.

"You think so too?"

"Yeah. Look at her behavior. She hardly made eye contact. She looked like she didn't want us to come into the shop. It seemed like she only let us in and showed us the letter to stop our conversation."

"Hmmm…" Guy frowned and placed his hand under his chin. "She looked like she was watching for things out the window."

"Well, Guy, it looks like our contest is still on. I'm curious as to what's going on here."

"Me too. If I don't solve this before you, I'm going to do 1000 laps around Konoha!" He gave Kakashi a bright smile and a 'thumbs up' signal.

Kakashi effortlessly pushed himself off of the wall he was leaning against. He walked over closer to Guy and the two ninja began walking back towards the center of the village to the Hokage's office. Through the corner of Kakashi's eye, he could see Rem watching them walk away from the window of her store.


	3. Chapter 3

Even though there were no lights on in her loft, Rem could see shadows in her apartment. There were enough streetlights in Konoha to give Rem's apartment a dim glow. Rem wished it was actually pitch black outside; the shadows in her apartment seemed so threatening. So did every sound. Every creak that she heard was a potential threat. After hours of tossing and turning, Rem was finally able to fall asleep.

When she awoke, the apartment seemed much less threatening. Everything seemed bright and pink. Rem wondered why she was scared in the first place.

Rem checked her clock. 6:00 a.m.; good. This left her enough time to exercise, eat breakfast shower, and get to the shop by nine. She went about her morning stretches and did just that.

She was down in the shop by eight. After doing a quick scan, there was nothing out of place. She breathed a sign of relief.

 _Bang._

Rem's whole body shook. _What was that?_ She walked over to the window.

The green beast was back. Might Guy. There was another with him. He was dressed exactly the same as Guy. He even had the same bowl haircut and the same thick eyebrows as Guy. The two men were kicking each other. Orange leg warmers were crashing in a blurred frenzy in the street.

Rem breathed a sigh of relief. It was only Guy. He didn't seem to be a threat. She returned to the area behind her counter. An important customer was coming in to pick up a custom-made kimono for her cat and she needed to figure out how to price this...unusual purchase. She pulled out a pen and paper and began to scribble down the cost of fabric to begin calculating the price.

 _Bang. Bang. Bang._

Rem looked up from her paper. She pursed her lips together and furrowed her brow. After a few moments passed, Rem returned to her calculations.

 _Bang!_

Rem put her pencil down on the table and walked over to the door. She pulled the door open and looked at the two men practicing.

"Excuse me..."

The two men were still fighting with each other. Kicks were flying. Punches were being thrown.

"Excuse me!" Rem loudly said. Guy and the other man stopped fighting and looked at Rem. "Excuse me, good sirs. Would you mind fighting a little more quietly or moving your practice elsewhere?"

"Oh, hi! Good to see you again!" Guy waived at Rem. "What's your name again?"

"Rem. My name is Rem. Actually, I do not even know if we properly introduced ourselves yesterday..."

"Might Guy!" Guy flashed Rem a teeth-sparkling grin. His thumb was pressed against his chest and he stood in almost a heroic pose. Rem stretched out her hand for a handshake. Almost out of no where, the younger clone of Guy jumped up in front of Rem between her and Guy. Rem flinched and leaned backwards.

"Hello Rem, I am Rock Lee of the Leaf Village. I am pleased to make your acquaintance!" Lee took Rem's hand and shook it. Rem cringed at his forwardness and the sound of his loud voice. It was almost as if he was screaming his introduction.

"The pleasure is mine." She shook Lee's hand. "Now about your practicing situation..."

"Yes! I am sorry that our practice got out of hand and we disturbed your work. We will find a new training area at once!" Lee placed his hands on his hips and smiled. He had the same grin as his sensei-that bright, twinkling smile.

"Thank you." Rem bowed her head and turned around.

"We are just training to be our best!" Lee continued. "Do you like to train too?"

"I am not a ninja so I do not train. I do like to exercise a bit every morning for the sake of personal fitness."

"That's great!" Guy laughed as he patted her on the back. Rem stumbled forward a bit-she was caught off-guard by his ninja strength. She could tell he meant no ill by patting her on the back but she was not a strong woman. After all, she was a civilian and the extent of her daily workout was to stretch and walk around outside her shop. Oh, and polishing the floors. After Rem regained her balance, she glared at Guy. How dare someone touch her without permission; it's rude. "I appreciate your youthful attitude! Lee and I practice almost every day! You are more than welcome to join us whenever you'd like!"

"You can even wear one of or workout suits!" Lee gestured to the hideous tree-green spandex suit that he and his sensei were wearing. Rem openly cringed.

"No! I mean, I am busy with my shop. I have an important client coming in today and I cannot step away from the shop. Thank you for the offer; it is most kind." Rem went to go shuffle towards the door of her shop.

"Good luck with your client, Rem!" Lee waived.

Rem walked back into her shop and saw the two ninja walk away. She breathed a sigh of relief.

Rem shuffled over to the counter, tucked her hair behind her ear and finally went back to estimating the cost of the cat kimono. She thought it was a bit strange that someone would order a kimono for a cat, but she genuinely enjoyed making the kimono. Thinking of how cute little Tora would look in the tiny kimono motivated Rem to finish the project. Madam Shijimi has also been a loyal customer of Rem since she opened her shop three years ago and she genuinely enjoyed Shijimi's company; she looked forward to Shijimi's company this afternoon.

The afternoon slowly went by as Rem made the finishing touches on the kimono, just to make sure that it was up to the usual standard of quality that she produced. When Shijimi stopped by with Tora, the two women chatted well into the evening over tea. The cat kimono was an astounding success. Shijimi left after the sun set and Rem was left alone to polish her floor and close up her shop. At night, she was left alone with the shadows in her dark room and the feeling of dread that someone was watching her.


	4. Chapter 4

Rem tossed and turned all through the night. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched-that someone was there, waiting to hurt her in some way. When Rem looked at herself in the mirror the next morning, she was struck by her haggard appearance. There were prominent dark circles under her eyes and her fine blonde hair almost looked brittle. She looked a little too thin; this whole ordeal has taken a huge toll on her. Rem spent an extra amount of time on her makeup that morning; she covered up the dark circles and bags under eyes and added some extra blush on her cheeks. She picked out a soft, pale yukata to bring out her eyes.

When she arrived at her shop the next morning she was relieved to find no new note. This was becoming he new favorite part of her day; her whole body shook in relief.

She saw a shadow in front of her door. Rem froze. She felt a lump in her throat and her pulse rise up.

With great effort, Rem put one foot in front of the other. After what seemed like years, she walked over to the door.

It was Kakashi. Rem felt relieved once again. She opened the door.

"Oh, I was just stopping by. Interested in seeing the kimonos." Kakashi's one eye seemed to smile at Rem.

Rem cocked her head to the side. _Seeing the kimonos?_

Rem gestured her hand to the inside of her shop. "As you can see, I have a plethora of kimonos here, made of the finest fabric. I can custom make kimonos, robes, and any and all clothing." Rem folded her hands in front of her obi. "What are you interested in today?"

"Ah, never mind." Kakashi responded in his sing-song voice. "I have some time to kill before going to a meeting today. Do you mind if I stay here for awhile. You see, I saw this black cat walking down the road and..."

"-Alright." Rem raised her hand, cutting off his poor, obviously made-up, excuse.

Rem walked over to a sewing table that she had over in the far corner of the shop.

"I have some work to do here. Would you like a cup of tea while you wait?"

"No thanks." Kakashi raised his hand and smiled. He sat down in one of Rem's delicate chairs by the window. His silver hair seemed to sparkle in the sunlight that streamed through the window.

Rem walked over to her sewing machine. She kept watching Kakashi from the corner of her eye. He pulled out a small orange book from his back pocket. Rem squinted her eyes to see what the book was and then she realized that it was none other than _Icha Icha Paradise_. That book. That pornographic book. How rude! How dare he read a pornographic book in public.

"Excuse me!"

Kakashi looked up from his book. "...yes?"

"Could you please refrain from reading your pornographic book in my store?"

Kakashi shut his book and put it in his back pocket. "Oh, then perhaps we can have a chat instead. You know, to pass the time."

Rem's mouth twisted. The last thing she wanted to do was have to have a conversation with the copy ninja about anything.

"Never mind, carry on then." Rem waved her hand over at Kakashi in a dismissive fashion; she stifled a frustrated sigh. Rem refocused her attention to the emerald green obi in front of her sewing machine and pursed her lips. She looked at Kakashi through the corner of her eye. He resumed reading his book.

"Have you received any more letters recently?" Kakashi asked. He didn't look up from his book once.

"No, not as of late." Rem retreaded a sewing machine needle and re-aligned the obi back on track. She shifted in her seat.

"Well, that's good."

"Yes, it is. Where is your meeting taking place?"

"At the Hokage's office."

"If you have regular meetings at the Hokage's office, I would recommend finding a waiting place closer to he center of town for future references."

"I'll take it under advisement."

About an hour of silence passed with Kakashi reading his book and Rem putting the finishing touches on her obi. Eventually, Kakashi broke the silence.

"Well, I have to go. Good talk." Kakashi waved at Rem as he walked out the door. Rem watched him leave. After the door closed, she breathed a sigh of relief.

For the rest of the afternoon Rem fiddled with the Obi and the corresponding kimono project that went with it. At the end of the night, she stepped back and admired her creation-a floating column of purple and green; it was fit for a queen. She placed the set on a rack and placed it closer to the window; she would surely find a client or it quickly.

She smiled at her creation and went into her small closet to get her mop to start her nightly routine. When she got inside of the dark closet, she felt hot breath on the back of her neck. She stopped moving, frozen over by fear. She could hear feel her heart pumping in her these and the hairs on the back of her stomach start to stand up.

"Hello, Rem. Miss me?"


	5. Chapter 5

Rem felt her stomach lurch. She grabbed her mop and held it close to her chest. She turned around very slowly and she was face-to-face with a all man in a white mask. It looked as if his entire face was missing all of its features.

"I-I-I" Rem shuttered and bit her lip.

The mask man ripped her mop from her hand and tossed it across the room. She heard it clank against her floor. She didn't care about what happened to her floors though.

"I see you have been talking to ninjas lately." The masked man stepped closer to Rem. Rem took a step backwards. "Now I thought that you hated ninja..."

"Please!" Rem cried out. The masked man slapped her across the face. Rem let out a cry. A cry of fear more than pain.

"I thought I told you. No..." _Slap_. "Nin-" _Slap_. "-jas!" The man finished his barrage of attacks with a swift punch that landed right on Rem's left cheek. She staggered backwards and hit the wall, knocking over a porcelain plate. The man quickly picked up a shard of the porcelain plate from the floor. He grabbed Rem's hair and pulled Rem close to him. "Now listen to me very carefully." She could feel his hot breath on her neck and she could feel the cold porcelain shard against her neck. Rem closed her eyes and whimpered. "LOOK AT ME!" Specks of split landed on Rem's face.

"Ok, ok." She looked at the masked man. Her eyes were wide with terror.

"You're going to send those ninjas away next time. Understand, baby? If they pry too much, you're going to tell them that you had a stalker and that you took care of it. Alright?" Rem stayed silent "ALRIGHT?"

"I-I-I will!" Hot tears were streaming down the young woman's face. "I will. I will. I will." She started to hyperventilate. The man released his grasp on her hair and threw Rem towards the floor. Her hand landed in a porcelain shard. She let out a cry of pain.

"You don't want to make me and my friends angry, do you? I can't guarantee you or those brats' safety when I'm angry..."

"I'll make them go away. I'll make them go away. I'll make them go away..."

"Good. You're going to keep on holding onto my associates' merchandise. We'll deliver it to you and we'll collect it on our terms. Just like we've been doing for the last month. Then no one gets hurt. OK?"

Rem wiped away her tears and vigorously nodded her head.

The masked man turned around. He picked the mop off the floor and tossed it over to Rem.

"You might want to clean up these floors. They look a little dirty."

Rem watched the man exit her store. Once she saw the door close, she buried her face in nearby fabric and wept bitterly.


	6. Chapter 6

Rem slept in late the next morning. Late. 10:00 a.m. late. When Rem woke up the next morning, she felt a pounding in her head and heard a pounding at the door downstairs.

 _Knock. Knock. Knock._

Rem's eye's flickered open. She quickly sat up and threw on her silk bathrobe and hurried down the stairs. She had no clients booked that day and she hardly had walk-in customers.

 _Knock. Knock. Knock._

The blonde woman took a deep breath and peered out the window to see who was at the door. _Might Guy?_ She walked over to the door and opened it.

"I was just wondering if…" Guy's voice trailed off. His cheerful disposition changed in an instant. His black eyes scanned Rem. He saw tired eyes, a bruised face, dried blood, bandages, brittle hair, gaunt cheeks.

Rem was acutely aware of Guy's piercing stare. She shifted her weight uncomfortably and pulled her powder blue silk robe closer to her body and tucked her hair behind her ears.

"What happened…?" Guy asked.

"Wondering if what?" Rem said sharply.

"If you wanted to go for a run with Lee and I this evening but…" Guy shook his head. "what happened?"

"It is not of your concern." Rem folded her arms.

"Rem? Please, I can help you."

"It is not of your concern."

"I won't let someone's unyouthful actions like this go unpunished!" Guy threw his hands off to the side.

"Might Guy. Please do not return to this shop."

"But…"

"Please!" Rem's voice raised an octave. "Please…" Her voice returned to normal. "Do not return here. Relay the message to your 'rival' as well. Good day." Rem went to close the door. Guy caught the door before she closed it.

"I made a promise. I'm going to help you."

"If you want to help me, please never speak to me again. Ever. Good day." Rem turned her back to the green ninja and walked towards the purple and green kimono she finished last night. She pursed her lips together and swallowed the lump forming in her throat.

 _Click._

She heard the shop door close. The silence of solitude filled the shop. Rem hung her head and ran her fingers through her hair and sobbed quietly.

"No." Rem turned around. "I'm going to help you." Guy stated firmly. "No one's ever going to lay a hand on you again." He gave her the thumbs up sign and smiled. "That's a promise. If they do, I'll do 20,000 one-armed pushups."

"It is not me that I'm worried about. I…" Rem's voice trailed off. "Never mind."

"No, please, what is it?"

"Please, drop it."

"Rem, I'm going to help you."

"You cannot help me." Rem's voice trailed off. She pursed her lips together and looked up at the ceiling. Tears were pooling up in her eyes. She blinked a few times until they disappeared. She didn't want anyone to see her cry. She didn't want to show weakness to anyone—especially a ninja.

"No, I'm going to help you. I won't take no for an answer. I'm _going_ to help you."

Rem crossed her arms and looked at the older ninja. He looked so determined. His thick brow was furrowed and he was frowning. His eyes looked so…intense.

Rem knew two things at that moment. The first one was that she had to learn how to defend herself in case if things went…awry. Secondly, Guy didn't seem to be openly malicious. He didn't seem to be in league with _them._

 _I can trust this man if I keep him at arms length._

"Fine. Alright, fine. If you're going to help me, then you must help me on my own terms."

Guy's face relaxed.

"What are they?"

"Teach me how to fight. How to defend myself."

"I can do that."

"Do not make any inquiries into my physical condition…" she touched the large bruise that was beginning to form on her face. "...or why I need to learn how to fight."

Guy paused. "Alright. I can do that."

"Every time you see me, you need to make sure that you are not followed by anyone. No one can know you are here. Kakashi and your student are welcome to join you, but no one else can come."

"I understand."

"No one can even see me train. They cannot see that we are together. At all. I cannot emphasize this enough." Rem folded her hand neatly over her waist and looked Guy in the eye. "I need to get as strong as I can as fast as possible."

"You can count on me; you'll become a taijutsu fighter in no time." Guy smiled. His teeth twinkled. "What fighting background do you have?"

Rem pursed her lips. "I am not a fighter. I am just a shop keep. I try to avoid violence at all costs."

"What about physical fitness? How many laps can you run…pushups you can do…?" Guy's voice trailed off.

"Not many. I just stretch and walk around the outside of the shop every day before my breakfast." Rem blushed and looked at her polished floor.

"That's alright. Lee and I are running laps through the woods this afternoon. You should join us."

"Alright. I will. I close the shop every day at five. I will join you then."

"I will train you by using he power of youth!" Guy grinned once again. "See you at five tonight." Guy sauntered over to the door.

"Guy?"

"Yes?"

"Make sure no one sees us."

"A promise is a promise." Before leaving, Guy flashed her another smile and gave her a thumbs up.

"Good day."


	7. Chapter 7

_What to wear…what to wear…?_ Rem looked through her closet. Several pastel yukatas and kimonos were peaking out through the closet. No exercise clothes though. She was doubtful that she even owned a pair of pants. Wait…there was one pair of pants tucked in the far back corner of her closet; a pair of silk black pants that were made for lounging. She decided to combine it with a crisp teal shirt. She swore to herself that she would make some cute, comfortable, and practical exercise clothes for our next exercise session.

She sat in her kimono shop and looked at the clock. Guy was coming in ten minutes; she figured that he and Lee would be prompt. She didn't know much about the two ninja, but she could assume that much at least.

 _Knock. Knock. Knock._

Rem walked over to the door and opened it. Guy and Lee were standing outside of her shop. The green beasts looked ready and eager to practice.

"Hello Rem!" Lee waived.

"Guy…Lee…good evening." Rem nodded her head. She felt very self-conscious in her silk pants. Granted, she didn't want to wear a green jumpsuit, but she also felt odd wearing pajama pants. At least she put on makeup to cover up her bruises and to give her skin a fresh, dewy appearance.

"Are you ready to learn the wonders of taijutsu?"

"Yes, I am." Rem folded her hands in front of her lap.

"First, we're going to run about five-to-six miles through the woods. Then, we'll go focus on punches and kicks. How's that?"

"…That is fine."

 _Six miles…?_

"Alright, let's move out!" Guy pointed to the woods.

"Yes, Guy sensei!" Lee also pointed to the woods.

Rem looked all around when she stepped outside the shop. She looked for threatening figures. People who could be associated with…them. _This might be a dangerous move that I am making, but I need to learn self defense in case if the situation escalates._ She waited for Guy and Lee to be a few steps ahead of her and followed them as discreetly as she could. _Everyone here could be a potential enemy._

Once Rem got into the woods, she felt herself relax; she was out of harm's way. For now. The two men sprinted out ahead of her. Rem ran after them. The two ninja took to the sky and started leaping from tree-to-tree. Rem was amazed at their strength and agility—they were leaping about ten feet at a time in mid-air. The civilian woman was running as fast as she could at ground level and they still were edging ahead of her.

 _No one said this was going to be easy._ Rem thought to herself. She continued to put one foot in front of the other in a rhythm. _One. Two. One. Two._ Even though she was running as fast as she could, Lee and Guy were starting to disappear into the distance. Dry air started to fill her lungs as she began to slow down.

Guy and Lee stopped in the distance, which gave Rem a bit of a chance to catch up.

"It is only three more miles ahead!" Lee shouted down from the treetops.

"…Oh…" _Gasp._ "Kay…" _Gasp._

"Nothing like a vigorous run to get your blood pumping! Ah, the power of youth…"

"Yes Guy sensei!"

"Why are you running on the ground, Miss Rem?" Lee asked.

"I…have…never…ran…up through trees before…" Rem gasped for air again.

Lee jumped down to the ground. "Let us bring you up to the trees with us. It is faster if we carry you along."

"No, Lee." Guy interjected from the sky. "Rem is trying to build up endurance. We can't take away an opportunity for her to train."

"Yes…I…need…to grow stronger. Maybe…I…can leap…through…trees…with you two…later…" _One. Two. One. Two. One foot in front of the other._ Rem felt her makeup start to run down her face. She wiped the sweat off her brow and a bit of powder foundation came off on her hand. She smeared it on her pants and left a beige smudge. She hated the feeling of the sweat clinging to her silk clothes.

"It's just up ahead." Guy pointed to a clearing in the woods.

"Ok…" Rem smiled as she saw the clearing get closer and closer to her. Finally, the three of them reached the training area. Guy and Lee looked remarkably unfazed; they didn't even have a drop of sweat on them; it was like a walk in the park.

"Now we're going to move on to punches and kicks…"

"Alright, Guy Sensei!"

Rem finally regained her breath and composure to the point where she could speak in complete sentences without sucking on wind. "What's the first step?"

"So first you want to go and get into a guard stance." Guy sunk his weight into his legs so his body weight was evenly distributed and his arms were up protecting his head and chest. "See? This way I'm in a good position to block an incoming attack. Lee?"

Lee went to throw a jab at Guy. Guy deflected it with ease.

"You try it."

Rem fumbled awkwardly into a stance that somewhat mimicked Guy's.

"You might want to sink your stance a little bit more." Rem sunk her legs.

"Good!" Guy smiled. "Now I'm going to throw a punch and you're going to block it!"

"Wait, what?"

Guy went and threw a jab out to Rem. Rem closed her eyes, bent over, and put her hands in front of her face. When she opened her eyes, she saw Guy's fist was a millimeter from her face.

"Let's try this one more time. Don't worry, I'm not going to harm a hair on your head. I made a promise." Guy gave Rem a thumbs up. "Now just keep your eyes open and don't flinch and you're all set."

Rem nodded her head. Guy went in and threw in one more punch. This time, she flinched less and barely deflected his punch.

"That's better!" "One more time.

Guy punched. Rem blocked. Again and again and again. This went on for about thirty minutes until was able to properly block and flinch minimally. Or, at least Guy seemed to be satisfied with her ability to block properly. For now.

"Alright, let's move on to punches!"

"Yes, Guy Sensei! Punching with the power of youth!"

"You said it, Lee!"

Rem opened her mouth and closed it again. Those two seemed to be joined at the hip; the dynamic duo. A part of her wanted to laugh at the corniness of it all but another part of her sort of thought that their student-teacher friendship was sweet. They seemed so much unlike other ninja. The two had an honesty about them.

"Let's move over to a tree…" Rem followed Guy and Lee over to a nearby tree. This tree looks like it has been hit before—several times, actually. The bark was chipped away and the wood beneath looked smooth.

"Ok, so first you get into that guard guard stance I showed you earlier…." Guy went into the guard stance he showed Rem earlier. "For a powerful punch, you're going to want to punch with your arm that's closest to your rear leg. Then, you want to go twist into the punch and put your body weight into it. Like THIS!" Guy punched the tree, or so Rem assumed. All she could see was a green blur move toward the tree, then the tree cracked and fell over.

"Uh, woops, sorry for knocking over your practice tree, Lee."

"Guy Sensei!"

"I'm so sorry, I have such fond memories of seeing you practice on that tree."

"Guy sensei, I remember practicing with you too!"

Rem could swear that she saw the two men…crying?Rem thought that shinobi weren't supposed to cry. She though they were supposed to stay tough, strong, and calculating. _These two are odd._

"Ok, so Rem, go over to that tree and punch it." Lee pointed to a neighboring tree.

"Ok!" Rem sunk into the guard stance that Guy showed her earlier. She went and punched the tree with all of her might.

"Oww!" Rem grabbed her hand and flinched.

"Rem! Are you ok?" Lee shouted.

"…Yes." Rem said through gritted teeth. Her eyes were welling with tears.

"Let me see it." Guy walked over to Rem. The blonde woman extended her hand over to to Guy. Guy gingerly took her hand. His hands seemed so much larger than Rem's. He had the strong, calloused, hands of a ninja. They were standing so close together. Rem could smell his musk. When she noticed their close proximity, she took a step back.

"I am sure it is fine…"

"Well, it's not broken…" Guy turned it over to inspect it more thoroughly. "But you do have a pretty bad cut…" Guy reached into his back pocket and pulled out a canteen of water. He ran the water over Rem's hand, pulled out a white bandage, and carefully wrapped it around her small hand.

Rem opened and closed her hand. "It is ok, I can still sew. I am ready to fight again."

"Ok, one more time…this time try hitting more with your front two knuckles instead of your whole hand."

Rem punched the tree one more time. She winced again.

"It is ok, Rem. Your hands will get used to it in time." Lee said.

"Thank you, Lee."

"Just do that for the next half hour." Guy instructed. "Lee, want to spar in the meanwhile?"

"Yes, Guy Sensei!"

The two ninjas clashed back and fourth as Rem punched the tree, again and again. Each time her hand winced. She knew her hand would hurt in the morning, but she had to get stronger. By the end of the half hour, she was practically in tears.

"Alright, the hour's up. How do you feel?"

"I'm…ok."

"Great! Alright, it's getting dark; let's move on back. We'll skip kicks tonight and do that tomorrow."

"Ok."

Rem pursed her lips. She dreaded making the run back to the village. Six whole miles back. Lee and Guy already jumped up into the trees. Rem took a deep breath and started to jog back. _One. Two. One. Two._ All the way back to the village. By the time she and the two ninjas got back to her shop, Rem was ready to pass out. Literally pass out.

"Would you two like a glass of water or a cup of tea?"

Rem thought it would be best to invite them in in case she had any unwelcome guests in her shop. Plus, no matter how tired she was, she could never sacrifice manners.

"Yes, ma'am!" Lee jumped up in the air in enthusiasm. Rem wondered how he could have such enthusiasm after running for twelve miles and then sparring with Might Guy when Rem, on the other hand, could barely stand. Maybe she could be strong some day too. She hoped so.


	8. Chapter 8

The next morning, Rem felt even worse than she did the day before. Not only was her face swollen and bruised from her encounter with the masked man two nights ago, but now her hands were hurting from all of the punches and her legs felt like they were on fire.

She hoped that her next training session would be easier than the one last night. She didn't know how much her body was capable of.

For much of the morning, Rem calculated her business expenses. She seemed to be financially ahead and she had all of her private orders accounted for and completed. She could afford to use some of the excess materials and the day to make some training clothes. If she was serious about exercising daily and becoming stronger, she couldn't spend every day wearing sweaty pajamas. She had to make something better looking.

She pulled out she stretchy, black fabric and made several pairs of leggings that she could wear underneath a yukata. Hmm…maybe she could branch away from wearing a yukata and wear something more daring and adventurous like the kunoichi in the village. She might not have liked the kunoichi personally, but she had to admire their fashion sense. Rem got her most breathable and sturdy yukatas and shortened them to mid-thigh length. She thought that the would look cute with her leggings and that she would be able to run, punch, and kick in them.

 _Knock. Knock. Knock._

Who was it? Guy? She shuffled to window, peaked around the corner, and saw that it was Kakashi.

Rem might have liked Guy and Lee enough to tolerate them, but Kakashi was a different story. As open as Guy seemed, Kakashi seemed closed. The man didn't look like he took a single step without calculating it first.

Rem opened the door.

"Good day."

"Oh, I was just passing by." Kakashi sauntered into Rem's shop and took a seat at Rem's sitting table. Kakashi seemed to almost have a silent charisma; even though he was a quiet man, his presence still took up the room.

"Oh? Have you changed your mind about buying a kimono?"

"No…" Kakashi looked around the shop. "I heard that you've been training with Guy and Lee."

"Yes, I have been."

"Taijutsu?"

"I think so."

"Think so?

"We ran a lot yesterday and I learnt how to punch things. I just want to know basic self-defense."

"Hmm. You're learning from the best."

"The best?"

"Yeah, Guy's one of our best Jonin as far as taijutsu goes."

"And you?"

"Hmm…I focus more on ninjutsu, I would say. I dabble in…a little bit of everything."

 _Always an enigma._

"Well, Jack-of-all-Trades, do you have any advise?"

"Yeah, I guess I do."

"That is?"

"Don't get hit." Kakashi looked Rem square in the eyes. Rem touched the bruise on her face. "And, well, train hard…I guess."

"I figured that part, as much." Rem leaned over against her cash register table. "Nothing in life comes easy."

Kakashi laughed. "No wonder why you and Guy get along so well."

"Get along? I hardly know Guy. He's just been in this shop a few times and we went over for a 12 mile run last night."

"Ah, I see."

Rem walked over to her sewing machine and pursed her lips together.

"Anything else bring you here today, Kakashi?"

"Hmm…no. Not really. Just here to chat." Kakashi raised a cup of tea. "I'm kind of curious as to why all of a sudden you're interested in training."

"I need to get strong."

"Why?"

"That's private."

"Hmm…" The ninja crossed his legs and leaned back. "I see."

Rem raised an eyebrow. Kakashi opened up his book. Rem inhaled sharply.

"Is that all?"

"For now."

"No grand offer to train me in your ways, Jack-of-all-Trades?"

"No." Kakashi looked up from his book. "It's clear that you don't want my help or Guy's help for that matter. I just know when to take a hint."

Rem smiled and chuckled a bit.

"Take a hint? This is the second time this week you have been reading pornography in my shop, when I have clearly told you not to. I wouldn't call that taking a hint."

Kakashi laughed. "Hah! Fair enough." He closed his book and stood up. "I'll be on my way."

With that, Kakashi sauntered out the door.

 _What a strange man. He is definitely suspicious of something though. I can't have him snooping around here._

There was another knock at the door.


	9. Chapter 9

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

Rem stood up from her sewing machine. _What is it now? Did he forget something?_

She walked over to the door, and opened it.

A tall man answered the door. A very, very, tall man with a scar cut clean across his mouth like a jack-o-lantern; a forced smile. He had a black mustache and long black hair that reached mid-waist. He just looked creepy and…evil. Rem recognized the man. He was one of _them._ One of _those_ ninja who ruined her life. He was associated with the masked man.

The man had a little girl with him.

Rem's eyes widened. Even though this has happened several times over the last month, it still broke her heart every time.

"Maya…" Rem looked at the little girl. She had curly brown hair and a cherub face. Rem's mouth twisted…a little four year old girl getting involved in this mess. _How awful._

"Auntie Rem!" The little girl toddled up to Rem and hugged her legs. Rem tussled the little girl's hair.

"Maya! How are you? Are you safe?"

"I'm great! Daisuke took the art kit that you gave me and he won't share with me again." The little girl frowned and then buried her face in Rem's yukata.

"Well, tell him Auntie Rem said to share." Rem smiled at the girl. "It's going to be ok…everything is going to be ok." Rem smiled wryly.

 _The little lies you tell yourself…_

"I believe you, Auntie Rem!" The girl looked up at Rem and smiled. It was a genuinely happy smile.

 _To be young and naïve…_

Rem's eyes locked with the giant brute and then she stood in front of the little girl, acting as a barrier between the two.

"What?" Rem said through gritted teeth.

"I'm just here for the pickup." The brute mumbled.

"None of the children have been harmed?"

"No." The brute let out a loud cough, and then folded his arms. "But if you don't hand over the merchandise, she will be." He pointed to Maya. "And if I don't come back in two days, one of the other brats will be. You know this drill, Rem. Come on, you've done this before."

Rem bit her lip.

"Very well then."

She looked at the little girl and crouched down so she was closer to her level. "Maya, sweetie, go upstairs and you can play with my pretty dresses. Does that not sound like fun?"

"Yeah! Thanks, Auntie Rem!"

The little girl scooted up the stairs. As soon as the door closed behind Maya, Rem locked eyes with the brute once more.

"Come on, I don't have all day here, lady! Give me the pills!"

Rem walked over to her sitting table and pulled it towards the center of the room. She felt the floor for a loose floorboard and pulled it up, along with it's neighboring floorboards. A small cave was revealed. Rem walked over to her closet, took out a candle and lit it.

She got down on all fours and crawled into the crawled into the cave with the candle lighting her way. Even though she had a candle with her, she still had a tough time seeing. When she got fully into the cave, Rem stood up and walked over to the concrete wall and grabbed a small bag of crimson pea-sized pellets that were about the size of a book. She looked at the bag and frowned.

Rem put the bag under her armpit and crawled back out of the cave and into her shop. She put the bag onto the floor, blew out the candle, and pushed herself out of the whole. She felt her muscles twinge from her exercise yesterday. Rem put the floorboards back in their proper place and moved the table back into its proper location. She picked up the candle, put it back in its proper place, and handed the brutish man the bag.

The man scoffed and put the bag into a satchel that he was carrying.

Rem balled up her fists and looked at the floor. She had a look of contempt.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. 'I hate all you ninja.' 'You better not hurt the kids.' I've heard this tune before. I also heard that the boss roughed you up a bit this week."

Rem touched her cheek and frowned.

"That'll teach ya a lesson!" The man laughed. "Look, just don't damage the merchandise, don't do anything shifty, don't get any ninja involved and everyone wins. My gang and I get some money, our customers get a good high, and you and the kiddies get to live. It all works out."

Rem averted her eyes to the floor. She felt pangs of guilt in her chest.

"Maya!" The brutish man shouted. "Time to go!"

Rem heard the sounds of tiny feet pitter-patter down the stairs. The small girl ran over towards Rem and gave her a hug.

"Bye Bye Auntie Rem!"

"Good day, Maya. Give my regards to the others."

"I will!"

Rem frowned. _They have no idea._ She shook her head.

"See ya, lady. One of my associates will be back in a few days to pick up some more of the merchandise."

Rem scowled and looked at her sitting table. Once she heard the door close, a single tear dripped down her face. She quickly wiped it away and sniffed. In an hour Guy and Lee would be arriving and they couldn't see her in disarray. Guy would probably pry and that's not something that she could risk.


	10. Chapter 10

Rem sat down at her sitting table and poured herself a cup of tea. She helped herself to a biscuit too and pulled out a romance novel. While Rem usually read books on history and business finance, she needed a break from reality right now—an hour-long escape into another world. In this world, a farmhand girl was caught in a love triangle between a feudal lord and his body guard. It was happy. There was no violence or drugs. There was one ninja involved but he was good.

She felt the afternoon sun warm up her body and provide light for her to read. She saw Guy walk by the window. He was alone this time. She stood up to walk over to the door and opened it before Guy could even knock.

"Good afternoon, Might Guy."

"Are you ready to train? The flames of youth will burn inside of us and propel us to the training grounds in the forest!" Guy pointed to the woods.

Rem smiled slightly.

"Yes, I am prepared."

Like the last time, Guy walked in front of Rem to avoid any suspicion that the two of them were out together to train. Rem was as nervous as ever, looking at every villager who passed by with suspicion and jolting whenever she saw a suspicious shadow. Her heart was pounding in her chest. A bit less than yesterday, but she was still terrified. She felt her whole body relax once she reached the woods.

Guy stopped right before reaching the trees.

"I want to teach you how to run on the trees. It's quicker than running on the ground and it will teach you the basics of chakra control and use."

"The trees? But that would mean that we are up high."

"Yeah! So first you want to focus your chakra to the balls of your feet and then you want to jump up." Guy soared into the air and landed on one of a tree branch. "It's easier to focus your chakra on jumping through the trees than it is to use your chakra to climb up them." Guy jumped down next to Rem. "You try."

Rem squatted down to jump up. Her legs were screaming with exhaustion. She pushed herself up from the ground with all her might. After all that effort, she expected to be up in the trees but it was just an average jump.

Her face looked perplexed.

"You have to use your chakra."

"I have never used my chakra before…"

"That's ok! I appreciate your spirited energy and your hard work ethic!" Guy grinned at Rem. "You know that feeling you have inside of you? That energy and life force? Just force it to your feet."

Rem closed her eyes and tried to focus all of her energy onto her feet. Her face was strained through effort. Rem jumped into the air. She jumped a little bit higher than she did before, but not earth-shatteringly so.

Guy ran his hands through his thick black hair.

"Just keep on practicing and you'll be running through the trees in no time!" Guy grinned. "For now, we can run there on the ground. I'll run with you. We can focus on chakra once we get to the training grounds."

"Alright." Rem started to lightly jog through the woods. _One. Two. One. Two. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch._ Her muscles were screaming at her. After a few moments, she was gasping for air too. She looked over to her right to Guy, he was completely unfazed. He almost looked bored from the slow pace. "You…can run on…ahead of me…if…you are…bored."

"Nonsense!" Guy smiled. "I made a promise to train you and that is what I will do. Besides, we are going deep into the woods and I don't want you to get lost in the woods."

Rem tried to pick up her pace. _One. Two. One. Two. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch._ She could feel her hair start to get tangled with sweat; she was glad that she wasn't wearing pajamas like yesterday and that she took the time to make a fashionable-yet-practical training outfit.

"Ah! No better feeling than the feeling of hard work and exercise!" Guy smiled, took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled.

Rem remained silent. She felt dry lungs and burning legs. Even her back and stomach were aching with exhaustion. She started to get more, and more tired and a bit light-headed.

By the time the two arrived at the training ground, Rem was completely exhausted. She felt dizzy and a little sick to her stomach.

"Ok, let's go and practice kicks this time. Now first, get into that guard stance, then kick out with your rear leg."

Guy demonstrated a kick in slow motion.

"You might want to try kicking in the air first before kicking a tree."

"Alright." Rem went into the guard stance that Guy showed her last time and went to kick. She felt like her legs were starting to buckle from underneath her but still kept on kicking in the air.

"What youthful kicks! I can feel your effort and energy!"

"Thank you for the compliment."

"Small we move on to the tree?"

"Alright." Rem walked over to the tree that she was punching yesterday. That dreaded tree that nearly broke her hand. She looked at the tree, paused, and then kicked it.

The first time was fine. She kicked the tree. The force made her a little less steady on her feet but she was still able to kick.

 _I can do this…_

Rem kept on kicking. Again and again and again. Every kick seemed to take some energy out of her and she got less and less steady on her feet. Sweat was pouring out of her body and she felt herself get more and more heated.

Rem paused and took a breath.

"Is everything ok, Rem?"

"Yes, I am alright. Is there hot air blowing?"

"No…?"

"Never mind."

Rem kept on kicking.

 _I can do this…_

Rem pulled up her leg and kicked the tree. This time, her screaming thighs finally gave in. She collapsed on the ground.

"Rem!" Guy ran over to Rem. Rem went to push herself off up the ground and fell down again. The world was spinning. The stationary Guy looked like he was moving. She felt nauseated. "Take it easy…" Guy knelt down on one knee and pulled out a canteen of water. He put the canteen up to her lips. "You have expended too much of your youthful energy. You got a little dehydrated, that's all…"

Rem gingerly took the canteen from Guy's hands and took a few sips of water. She felt slightly better, but the world was still spinning. For some reason, none of her thoughts seemed coherent or logical.

Guy looked Rem in the eye. "I'm going to take you to your home. OK?"

"Home? The orphanage?"

"No, the kimono shop, Rem."

"Oh, yes, my shop. Right. No killers in my shop…" Rem mumbled.

Guy scooped Rem up into her arms. He cradled her head against his chest and leapt up into the air into the tree line. Rem turned her head slightly to look out beyond Guy's biceps.

 _The road seems so small from here. I'm flying…_

Rem looked up to the clouds and then to Guy's face. He looked so serious. Usually he seemed happy and light hearted but now he was frowning and staring out at the sky line. His determined eyes were looking out above his prominent cheekbones. The young woman leaned back against Guy's chest. Maybe it was the romance novel she read that afternoon or her dehydrated state, but she didn't mind being in his arms. She was surrounded by muscles. Guy was like a warm mountain. For the first time in a long time, she felt safe, like nothing would happen to her.

Rem blinked a few times. Her eyelids were getting heavy. Rem breathed Guy's musk in and then closed her eyes and drifted off into slumber.


	11. Chapter 11

Rem slowly opened her eyes. She was in her bed. The lights were on but it was dark outside. Her pink quilt comforter felt uncomfortable. After a second, she realized why—she was still in her sweaty workout clothes.

 _Thump. Thump. Thump._

 _What's that noise?_

Rem turned her head off to the side. Might Guy was doing push-ups on the floor next to her bed.

Rem remembered him carrying her last night and she blushed. _How foolish I was for enjoying being in his arms last night._ Rem scowled and shuttered. She felt embarrassed by her vulnerability.

"Did anyone see you bring me here?" Rem asked. Guy stopped doing push ups and knelt down on the floor.

The young woman gingerly pushed herself up from her bed. Her head was pounding.

"No, I was careful, like I promised I would be."

"Very good…what time is it?"

"Around 10:00 p.m." Guy sat cross-legged on the floor and looked over to Rem.

"What happened?" Rem finally asked.

"You got severely dehydrated."

"I did?" She put her hand on her head.

Guy nodded.

"I hope you don't mind but I went through your refrigerator. All I saw in there were fruits and biscuits. Here's a fruit."

Guy tossed her an orange. Rem tried to catch the fruit but she was too exhausted to. The fruit fell on her bed. She slowly picked it up and dug her nails into the skin of the orange and started to peel it. Slowly. Very slowly.

"If you're going to exercise, you need to eat something more filling than biscuits and fruit. You need to eat something with more substance."

"I will take it under advisement." Rem said, not even making eye contact with Guy. She was making progress in peeling her orange. The main skin was removed and now she was peeling each part of the pith.

"I washed your floors for you."

Rem felt her heart skip a beat. Her eyes widened slightly but Guy didn't notice. She still did not stop peeling her orange.

"Thank you for your assistance this morning. I am sorry for my collapsing and any inconvenience that it might have caused you, Might Guy."

"Sorry?" Guy's looked at Rem incredulously. "Don't apologize for that! You were just pushing yourself too hard; it's just the consequence of hard work and effort. I am always glad to help someone work hard!"

Rem smiled and nodded her head. "Thank you for your understanding."

"In a way, you remind me of my student and I."

"Which one?"

"Lee, of course! Well, you remind me a little bit of Neji too, but mostly you remind me of Lee."

Rem finally turned her head and looked down at the ninja sitting cross-legged on the floor. She cocked her head to the side. "I remind you of you and Rock Lee? What do you mean?"

"Well, you work hard and you try your best. You might not be a natural fighter, but you work so hard." Guy's voice waivered.

"Thank you, Might Guy."

"When I was younger, I wasn't a very promising ninja. I was a late bloomer." Guy admitted.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I had no talent for ninjutsu or genjutsu. I actually failed to get into the ninja academy the first time around." Guy smiled wryly. "With the encouragement of my father, I started training in taijutsu. I kept on working hard and I got better and better and now I'm a jounin."

"Congratulations."

Guy let out a hearty laugh.

"My star pupil, my little Lee is the same way. He might not be naturally talented in ninjutsu or genjutsu, but he works hard. He's become quite the little taijutsu master and I'm so proud of him." Guy's eyes were watering. It was clear that he was very emotional about his student.

"It sounds like you are very proud of Rock Lee."

"Yeah, I am. I am proud of him." Guy smiled.

Silence filled the air. Rem nibbled on one of her orange slices.

"You seem to be working hard too." Guy said.

"Yes, I am trying my very best to get stronger."

"If you put the effort into training, I'll put the effort into training you. I'm a man of my word."

"Right. Thank you for your effort and for bringing me home when I was incapacitated."

Guy stood up and patted Rem on the back. "You're welcome!"

Rem winced and doubled forward a bit. She still wasn't used to his enormous ninja strength.

"Oh. Sorry about that."

"It is alright. I'm just a little sore."

Guy gently rubbed her back. "I better get back home. I have a mission tomorrow morning. Before I leave, do you need to do need me to do anything?"

"No, thank you for offering."

"Goodnight, Rem. I'll be sure to lock up for you. Please rest up, I'll help you." Guy walked over to the lights and shut them off.

Rem laid back down in bed and shut her eyes. She heard the sound of locks being fastened. She wanted to take off her sweaty workout clothes but she was too tired. Her eyelids felt so heavy. Before Guy even left the room, Rem was asleep once more.


	12. Chapter 12

Over the next few months, Rem started to become stronger. Her life became one of routine. Every morning, Rem woke up and stretched, and ate breakfast. She graduated from eating fruit and moved on to eating scrambled eggs in the morning. After breakfast, she came down stairs and opened her shop at nine a.m. sharp. At the shop, she sewed kimonos all morning and chatted with clients in the afternoon. Kakashi stopped by about twice a week in the afternoons. He was becoming some sort of a permanent fixture in the shop.

In the evenings, Guy always stopped by to train her, provided that he did not have a mission that took him out of town. Some days Lee would come and join them.

Rem was starting to tolerate the three ninja—they weren't as bad as other ninja and they were far better than the ninja who ruined her life. Most days were ok for her.

Most days were ok, but not all days. Wednesdays were always harrowing for Rem. That is when one of _them_ showed showed up at her shop. The group sent a different ninja every week. Fortunately, the man in the white mask has not returned to her shop since the day he assaulted her two months ago. Sometimes she would get a letter from him, other times, she wouldn't.

Every Wednesday, Rem spent her morning filled with dread. What if Kakashi or Guy stopped in when one of the masked man's gang members were there? What if one of the gang members killed the children? What if they killed her? Anything could happen on Wednesdays.

Rem calculated the amount of drugs in her basement. If the masked man's gang members took a bag every week, in five years the drugs would be completely gone from her shop. In five years Rem would be free and the children would be out of danger and things could go back to the way they were.

That is still five years for things to go awry. Wednesdays were the days where she felt like the ground below her was going to cave in and swallow her whole. This is where Rem's strength training came in. Rem planned on giving the drugs to the masked man's gang for the whole five years, but if if the masked man or the gang members tried to harm the children or tried to harm her, she needed a backup plan.

When Guy arrived at Rem's shop, he never noticed how distraught she was. He always seemed so happy and energetic, prattling on about the power of youth. Sometimes he would tell Rem vague details about what happened on his missions or he'd talk about his students, Lee, Tenten, and Neji.

Eventually, Rem started to appreciate Guy—Lee and Kakashi as well, but mostly Guy. Guy was always patient with her; he never criticized her slow progress. Most importantly, he didn't ask any questions as to why she needed help. In an odd sort of way, these ninja were becoming her friends. She still was skeptical of other ninja, but she felt that she could somewhat trust these three.

As stressful as Rem's life was, she started to find some peace. She could do this for five years. She could do this. It would be all right.


	13. Chapter 13

Rem sat by the window at 4:45, Guy would be arriving in fifteen minutes. Rem hated to admit this, but training with Guy became the favorite part of her day. Rem could feel herself getting stronger; her frail frame was becoming more-and-more toned with each passing day.

 _Knock. Knock. Knock._

Rem smiled to herself and walked over to the door. She opened it and saw Guy standing before her.

"Hello, Rem!" Guy gave Rem a teeth-twinkling smile. Lee peeked out from behind his sensei.

"Good evening, Miss Rem!" Lee shouted. "Shall we train?"

"Yes, we shall."

Rem closed the door behind her and followed Guy and Lee into the woods. This has become typical routine—follow Guy and Lee through the village. Once the trio reached the forest, The two ninja and the kimono maker leapt into the trees and bolted towards their training area. It took Rem a long time to be able to leap through the trees, but she was finally able to master that a few weeks ago.

Rem noticed something. Lee. He seemed incredibly happy. The young ninja was smiling to himself. Lee usually seemed happy, but he seemed happier than normal.

"Spit it out, Lee." Guy said to his student.

"IhaveadatewithSakura!" Lee shouted breathlessly.

"My apologies, I did not understand what you said." Rem stated.

"I have a date with Sakura! She's the prettiest kunoichi in the entire village. She is amazing! Sakura is studying medicine under Lady Tsunade and she works over at the hospital too!"

Guy laughed. "Good for you, Lee. Woo her with your youthful ways!" Guy turned to Rem. "Our Lee here has liked Sakura for quite some time."

"I can see that."

"I am so happy right now!" Lee grinned.

"My little Lee, growing up…" Tears were willing in Guy's eyes.

"Sensei, I owe it all to your training! I am just happy that I can share this good news with you, Sensei!"

"Where are you taking her?" Rem inquired.

"I do not know yet."

"Do you know what food she likes?" The kimono maker inquired.

"I do not know."

"Try taking her to Ichiraku Ramen." Guy suggested.

"Oh no, try taking her to the Dumpling Shop or the Shushuya. That is a more romantic environment. You are more than welcome to stop by my shop to borrow a nice robe, Rock Lee."

Lee pursed his lips. "I am sorry, Rem. I must follow my sensei's advice on this matter."

"How did you ask her out?" Rem asked. She was a sucker for romance and she was becoming quite familiar with Guy and Lee's personal lives.

"Well…I ran into her in town and I said 'let us get dinner together, Sakura,' then she said 'ok.'"

"Is that exactly what happened?" Rem asked.

"Yes, it was a very quick conversation." Lee confirmed.

Rem bit her lip. _I do not think this is a date._

"…I redact my advice. I would recommend following your sensei's instructions and keeping this casual."

"Should I bring flowers? She brought me flowers when I was in the hospital…"

"…yes, you can bring her flowers." Rem slowly said.

"Sensei?" Lee turned to his instructor.

"Yes, get her flowers."

Rem smiled.

"Ah, my young Lee, growing up…when is your date?"

"Tomorrow night, sensei!"

"Please, keep your sensei and I updated on this matter."

"I am just so happy!" Lee was beaming.

"Alright, team, we're at our training area!" Guy smiled and pointed to the clearing in the woods. The three of them leapt down onto the dirt floor of the forest.

Rem moved over to the tree that she was used to kicking and punching—her tree. Lee and Guy were having some sort of a contest on who could do the most one-armed pull-ups from tree branches. Rem figured that they could be here for awhile; Guy and Lee were both incredibly strong. They would probably be doing this for a couple of hours. Rem knew that Guy would win this contest, of course, but Lee was starting to gradually improve.

Rem punched and kicked her tree with all of her might. Her hands and legs hurt less than they did before. Her body was starting to become more conditioned; she was slowly becoming a strong fighter. Rem was proud; she was able to punch and kick the tree for the whole time Guy and Lee were competing.

The sun was starting to set over the forest.

"Let's go home." Guy finally said.

"Yes, sensei!"

Rem nodded and smiled.

The three of them leapt up to the trees and dashed back to the village. Lee chatted to Guy and Rem about Sakura the entire ran back. His cheerful mood was infectious. Rem couldn't help but to smile when she heard Lee sound so happy.

Rem slept peacefully that night.


	14. Chapter 14

Rem woke up in quite a creative mood. Hearing about young love made her want to craft some new kimonos. Even though she was pessimistic about Lee's chances with Sakura, she still held out a glimmer of hope for the young ninja. Rem didn't know why she was feeling so romantic as of late. Maybe she was finally starting to return to her normal self—return to how she was before any of her harrowing encounters with the masked man and his gang. Besides Wednesdays, her days were consisting in small talk, sewing, reading books, and training.

The pink silken fabric in Rem's closet caught her eye. The fabric had cherry blossoms on it. Rem smiled at the coincidence; this fabric will be used to make her next creation. Rem carefully cut and pinned the fabric on a mannequin. She thought that a white obi would look splendid with her new pink dress—her sakura dress. Once she arranged the fabrics, she took the dress off the mannequin and brought it over to her sewing machine.

Madam Shijimi and her cat stopped by in the afternoon. Shijimi had to get her kimono altered; apparently she had a banquet that night. Rem chatted animatedly with the older woman about fine dining and seating arrangements. Her cat, Tora, took a liking to Rem and nuzzled up on Rem's lap. Rem almost spilt her tea from the cat's forceful nuzzling on several occasions. After a few hours, Shijimi left and Guy arrived.

Guy was alone. Rem was happy about this. That means that Lee was on his date with Sakura and everything was ok.

Rem looked down at her clothing. She was wearing a full-length violet kimono; she never changed into her workout clothes.

"Good day, Might Guy."

"Hello, Rem!" Guy smiled at her.

"Please excuse me for one moment. I must go upstairs and change into my workout clothes."

"Actually, that might not be a good idea."

"Oh?" Rem tilted her head off to the side.

"I think it would be best to spar today. For sparing, you should probably wear what you wear most often. If you get into a fight, you won't be able to change into more comfortable clothes."

"Alright." Rem nodded her head. She felt a little on-edge. In the two months she has been training with Guy, she never once sparred with the man. She thought back to the times where he's patted her on the back and almost knocked her over and to the time where he accidentally snapped a tree in half with a punch. She hoped that he would hold back, like he did when he first taught her how to block.

Rem slowly walked behind Guy. Slower than normal. She shuffled in her geta sandals.

When the duo got to the woods, Rem almost tripped several times on her kimono when she was leaping through the trees. She almost tripped several times. Fortunately, she was able to regain her balance every time. Part of the problem was that Rem felt as if she were leaping over to her untimely death after taking every step. She was dreading her fight with Guy.

Guy noticed Rem's stumbles.

"Kimonos seem to be really hard to move in." Guy observed.

"Yes, it is a sacrifice that comes with beauty."

"I'm just glad that I get to wear my training gear all the time; it's perfect for fighting and exercise."

"I can see that your clothing serves that purpose. I prefer my clothing to be beautiful."

"Do you ever think that holds you back though? Sacrificing efficiency for beauty? I mean, you can hardly run in your sandals."

"It is for an appreciation of aesthetics." Rem chuckled. "I like beauty. I am proud that I bring beauty into this world through making kimonos. I like that I can help people express themselves without saying any words."

"That's good and all, I guess. Do you have to express yourself in such a way that makes you trip all the time though?"

"Well, I suppose that I do not." Rem quipped. She was feeling rather defensive that evening. Perhaps because she knew there was a potential that she would get beaten to a pulp. Guy sensed that Rem was wanting to end this conversation so he stayed silent.

They were closing in on the training ground. Rem bit her lip. She wasn't feeling very tired, she was just feeling scared that Guy was going to accidentally kick her head clean off. "It looks like we are here." Rem leapt down to the ground. She tripped over her geta shoes and stumbled a few steps forward.

Guy stretched his arms. "Are you ready?" He asked eagerly, getting into a guard stance.

"One moment please." Rem put up her hand.

"What is it?" Guy asked.

"I have a request to make, Might Guy."

"Sure, what is it?"

"Do not strike me. I have seen you fight with Rock Lee and I am not at that caliber yet."

"I wasn't going to. Lee has been training for years—since he was a little boy. You have just been training for a few months. I do think that it's time for you to practice hitting a moving target though.

"Alright. You are a man of your word." Rem pulled back into a guard stance. "I'm ready." She gulped. _This will be good practice for for fighting the masked man and his gang, should it ever come to that._

Rem locked eyes with Guy. _Do I make the first move? No, he's just going to block it. I should see what he does first._

Guy slightly moved his foot forward. Rem leapt back and stumbled a bit over her geta. She swiftly kicked off her shoes and circled over to her right. Guy leapt in with a jab and Rem leapt back. She could tell that he wasn't punching at his whole speed, but his slowed speed was still faster than that of a normal person. Rem was impressed that she managed to dodge his punch. She smiled inwardly.

One of Guy's kicks was being flown at Rem. She ducked and stumbled back a few steps.

 _Alright. I have dodged two attacks._

Rem paused and looked at Guy. _I have to attack._

Rem lurched forward fist-first. In the blink of an eye, Rem's attack was blocked and Guy's fist was an inch from her stomach.

"Make sure that you don't leave yourself an opening."

Rem nodded her head.

"Alright, one more time!" Guy grinned. The two of them got back in a guard stance.

When Guy attacked this time, he was much quicker. First he went in with a jab, and then another jab. Rem managed to dodge both attacks. Guy then went in with a flurry of kicks. The overwhelmed Rem flinched backed herself up against a tree.

"Don't get overwhelmed; just take everything one step at a time…"

The third round began. Then the fourth. Then the fifth, and so on and so forth.

"You're improving! I'm so proud!" Guy beamed. "You're turning out to become a fine fighter, for a civilian!"

"Thank you." Rem bowed her head.

"Let's move on back!" Guy smiled and pointed back to the village.

"Right." Rem nodded her head. She and Guy began to run back the village, off into the setting sun.


	15. Chapter 15

Lee looked so sad when he and Guy knocked on Rem's door. His usual smile was turned into a frown and he was looking at the ground. Rem knew immediately that the date with Sakura did not go well.

Guy seemed rather oblivious to Lee's sad mood.

"Are you ready to train, Rem?" Lee asked. She could tell that he was trying to sound cheerful but he was actually sad. His eyes never actually left the ground and he was still frowning.

"Yes, I am."

"Good, let us depart at once." Lee said. Usually he shouted those sorts of phrases. This was just beyond a muffle.

"Alright, to the woods!" Guy bellowed.

"Yes, Guy sensei…"

The three of them bolted over to the woods. Per usual, Rem was following Guy and Lee until the three of them got to the tree line.

Rem wanted to say something to Lee about the date but she didn't quite know what to say. She didn't want to sound rude and she figured that this wasn't her place; this was probably more Guy's department, seeing as he was Lee's mentor and all.

Rem looked at Guy and gestured towards Lee. Guy cocked his head off to the side. "What do you have to say about Lee, Rem?"

Rem sighed. Guy wasn't one for subtleties.

Lee looked over at Rem. His face seemed…unenthusiastic.

"Rock Lee, are you willing to divulge information about your evening with Sakura?"

 _I think that was a tactful way of phrasing it…_

Lee sighed. "We didn't go on a date…"

"I'm sorry to hear about that…" Rem said. She genuinely was sorry. Lee seemed like a good kid; she hoped that he could find some happiness.

 _The poor guy…_

"We were supposed to go to Ichiraku Ramen but then she cancelled at the last minute because she said that there was a sudden influx of hospital patients who needed treatments."

"Don't give up, Lee!" Guy encouraged.

"I just wish that there were less sick ninja."

"I know, Lee. I know…"

"Why are all those ninjas taking those addictive food pills? If they did not take the food pills then they would not be in the hospital and I could be on a date with Sakura..."

 _Addictive food pills?_

Rem's eye's widened and she stumbled over a tree. Guy caught her arm and Rem continued to run through the trees. Her heart was fluttering and she felt sick to her stomach.

"What do you mean, addictive food pills?" Rem enquired.

 _Could this be related to the pills in the cave below my shop? There are people hospitalized? This is all my fault._ A million thoughts were racing through her mind. She felt dizzy and nauseous, like the bad news literally punched her in the gut.

"You haven't heard?" Guy seemed surprised.

"No, I have not."

"Oh, I thought everyone heard. There's this new sort of highly addictive food pill on the street. People started to use it three months ago, thinking that it was just like any other harmless food pill. It's pretty bad though. It makes ninja stronger at first but then they become addicted to the food pills and it weakens their bodies in the long run. Two of Lee's colleagues, Kiba and Choji, had to get detoxed. They have to get daily treatments at the hospital to get their chakra networks back on track."

"Oh…" Rem's voice waived.

 _This is all my fault._

"I hope they catch the people making the food pills!"

"Let's try to catch them!" Guy enthusiastically said.

"Alright, Lee, new mission! We're going to catch the maker of the food pills. That way you can go on your date with Sakura and no more ninja will get sick. We'll put an end to their unyouthful scheme!" Guy grinned and gave Lee his signature 'thumbs up.'

"Yes sensei!"

Lee seemed enthusiastic once again. Rem was lost in her own little word; she couldn't notice Lee's improved mood.

"Are you going to join us, Rem?"

Rem jumped. "Yes?" She looked at Guy.

"Aren't you going to bust up those food pill makers with us?"

"Oh, yes, Might Guy." Rem felt sick to her stomach. She hated lying. She knew that she was the responsible for all of this; this was all her fault. If she were stronger, there would be no food pills. No one would be sick or addicted. If she were stronger, then maybe she could save all of the children at the orphanage and all the ninja. Rem had to protect those closet to her though; she chose to protect the orphans.

Rem hated herself that day. The rest of her training went by slowly. Rem didn't feel present. Luckily Guy and Lee seemed unobservant about Rem's distracted mood.

 _I don't know what to do anymore…_

Rem realized that Guy and Lee would now be snooping around to find out about the drugs. She now had to worry about them tracing things back to her shop. How would she explain this to them if it came down to it? Would they even believe her? Rem was doubtful.

"I need to get back. Pardon me. Please continue your training." Rem quickly ran out of the forest. She thought she was going to be sick. She had to get home and think…


	16. Chapter 16

The whole next day Rem felt sick to her stomach from anxiety and lack of sleep. She didn't know what to do about her current predicament. It was a Wednesday so she knew that the masked man's gang would arrive that day. The masked man would take the drugs in her basement and then sell the drugs to unsuspecting ninja. Rem may have not liked ninja too much, but her real problem was just with the masked man's gang of ninja who ruined her life. She didn't want Guy, Lee, Kakashi, or any ninja like them to get hurt.

Rem sat at her sewing machine. She seemed to mess up every dress she made that day. Her leg was twitching too much from nervous energy to operate the sewing machine correctly so all of her stitches were uneven.

 _Knock. Knock. Knock._

Rem leapt up in her seat and ran over to the door.

 _It's only Kakashi._

Rem exhaled.

"Good day."

"I was just in the neighborhood and I figured that I'd drop by."

Rem opened the door and gestured for Kakashi to enter. The two of them did this song and dance every week. Kakashi would say that he was just dropping by or he'd give some sort of a lame reason for dropping in. The two would banter. Kakashi would read his pornographic book. Rem would suggest that he leave. Kakashi would leave. Then on Wednesday's the masked man would come at 3:30. This happened every single week.

"What can I do for you today, good sir?"

"Oh, just looking at the kimonos."

 _I really can't do this song and dance right now…_

"If you are not going to make a purchase, I would like to ask that you leave. I am feeling a bit under the weather today."

"Under the weather? Oh?" Kakashi cocked his head to the side.

"Yes, I believe that I have a stomach bug today."

"Could it be stress related to your weekly Wednesday 3:30 visits?"

Rem froze.

"What do you mean?"

"I just noticed that you have a weekly visitor at 3:30 every Wednesday."

Rem scoffed. "That is a little odd that you know my weekly schedule."

Rem was screaming internally. She seemed outwardly calm though. She just stared at the ninja with her hands folded in front of obi.

"Who are those clients anyways? Every Wednesday there is always an older man with a kid. A different older man and a different kid."

"Wednesday afternoons are a good time to book clients."

"Ah, I see."

Kakashi ran his fingers through his silver hair and leaned against Rem's door frame.

Rem felt nauseous.

"I'll leave it alone for now." Kakashi flatly stated.

Rem showed no outward change in emotion but inwardly she was still in turmoil.

' _I'll leave it alone for now.' What on earth could that mean? He knows. Oh Kami, he knows…_

"If you would please excuse me, I have other matters to attend to. Good day." Rem crossed her arms and turned around.

"Alright then."

Rem could hear the familiar footsteps of Kakashi sauntering out the door. Once Rem heard the door click close, she let out a huge sigh of relief, and then she felt dread. He definitely knew. He was toying with her. Rem bit her lip.

 _How am I going to get out of this mess._

Rem walked over to her sewing machine and sat down. She folded her hands and pursed her lips together. This was her 'thinking' position.

 _How do I save the children, get rid of the drugs, and get Kakashi off my tail…_

Rem bit her lip. She had three options. The first option was to continue with the weekly transactions. If she did this, no one would be hurt. _Except for the ninja taking the drugs._ Rem frowned. The second option would be to go and tell Guy and Kakashi everything. Throw herself at their mercy and hope that they'll deal with the problem in the stealthiest way possible. Rem bit her lip. _That could get bloody. Worst case scenario, everyone could get killed. Guy. Kakashi. The children. The masked man's gang. Everyone._ Rem shook her head. _Out of the question._ The third option would be go and tell the Hokage everything. Have her send an elite group of ninja out to take care of the problem. _The masked man would go and kill the children out of spite as soon as they saw the first ninja. That cannot happen._

Rem sighed.

 _Option one it is for now… I just wish I did not feel so guilty._

Rem exhaled.

 _Maybe I should go to the hospital. Help the addicted ninja. Mitigate the damage that I have caused._

 _That will do…_


	17. Chapter 17

Rem closed her shop early the next day. She had no customers on Thursday afternoons so she figured that she would spend the day at the hospital volunteering and helping the addicted patients.

Rem decided to wear a violet yukata with a dark purple obi. She also pulled her hair back into a messy, loose braid.

Rem gulped and opened the door to her shop. She hardly ever spent time out in the village since the masked man started to visit her shop. She only went to get groceries and to train out in the woods with Guy.

The village seemed to be so noisy and congested. Luckily the hospital was only a thirty minute walk away.

At least it was beautiful outside; it was neither too hot nor too cold and the sun was shining high in the sky. Rem looked upwards from time-to-time to stare at the big, puffy, white clouds in the sky. Before she knew it, Rem was right in front of the hospital.

The big building looked quite imposing. Rem gulped, wrapped her arms around herself, and walked into the building.

A small, thin teenage girl was standing near the entrance. She had shoulder-length pink hair and was dressed in a white hospital robe. Rem could tell that, in a few years, she would be quite beautiful.

"Oh, hello, how may I help you?"

Rem shifted her weight on her legs.

"Good day, I was hoping to volunteer here."

"Oh, that's great. We could always use more volunteers." The girl smiled. "My name is Sakura." The girl extended her hand. Rem shook it.

 _Ah, she must be the Sakura that Lee talks about._

"Rem. My name is Rem. I am a kimono maker; I have a shop across town."

"Oh, that's great! You can help us patch up sheets and hospital gowns."

Rem bowed her head.

"Very well."

"Let me walk you over to where we keep our linens."

Sakura gestured for Rem to follow her and that's what Rem did. The two women walked down the hallway. It was long, white, and sterile. Rem appreciated the cleanliness; she knew first-hand how much work it took to get something that clean.

Sakura opened a plain wooded door.

"Here we are."

Rem walked through the door and sat down at the sewing machine in the center of the room. She was surrounded by starchy white fabrics.

"The linens to your right need patching up. The ones to your left are already finished."

"Thank you, I'll get started right away."

"Right. Thank you." Sakura closed the door.

Rem looked at the linens. They felt scratchy in her hands. There were some small holes in the fabric; nothing hard to patch up. Rem expected that this would take no more than an hour. She should be back to meet Guy at her shop at five.

Rem methodically patched up each hole. She was bothered by the low-quality of the fabric. She promised herself that she would sell a few extra kimonos this month and put the proceeds towards the hospital to buy new fabric.

Slowly but surely the pile on her right started to dwindle down and the pile on her left started to grow. Eventually, the pile on her right was obliterated and to her left lie a mountain of scratchy linins.

Rem stood up from her sewing machine and walked out the room. She gently closed the door behind her.

 _Now how do I leave here…_

Rem tried to remember the route that Sakura took earlier. Rem thought that Sakura took a right earlier so that's what Rem did. She kept on walking down the hallway and she reached a dead end.

 _That's not right._

Rem heard some coughing come from one of the rooms. Her curiosity was piqued. Rem poked her head through the crack in the door. She saw a man laying in bed with a small dog in his lap.

"I know you're out there. I can smell you from here."

Rem froze.

"Are you coming in?"

Rem opened the door. The young man looked almost frail and sickly. His dog walked up to Rem and sniffed her. Once Rem got the dog's approval, the dog dutifully returned to his owners lap.

"I was trying to leave here and I got lost. My apologies for disturbing your rest." Rem bowed her head.

"Ah, don't worry about it. My boy Akumaru and I need a distraction anyways."

The dog barked in agreement.

"We're cooped up all day."

"Might I ask why?"

"I took a bad batch of food pills. It's been a month and I still can't shake the stuff out of my system."

Rem bit her lip and looked down at the floor.

"Ah, don't worry about it." The man laughed. "It gives me some much needed down time."

"Good." Rem quickly said. "I must be going. Good day."

"Hey, have a good one." The man waived to Rem. She slowly closed the door.

 _I feel dizzy and sick._

Rem gingerly walked down the hallway.

 _This was a mistake…_

The hallway looked blurry. Rem continued to walk down the hallway. She put one foot in front of the other. Her whole body felt heavy.

Eventually, she exited the labyrinth of the hospital.

She saw the pink haired girl by the exit.

"Come again!" Sakura smiled at Rem and waived at her.

Rem walked through the village. She knew that she would be cutting it close but she hoped that she would make it back in time for five. She still did not feel like training tonight but she didn't want to have Guy wait around outside of her shop too long. Rem thought it was rude to do that and she didn't want to be rude to Guy; he was very kind to her and he shouldn't have to wait around for nothing.

Rem quickened her pace.


	18. Chapter 18

When Rem turned the corner, she saw Might Guy standing erect by Rem's shop. He knocked on the door and then waited eagerly for Rem to emerge.

Rem quickened her pace and walked over to Guy.

"Good day!" Rem loudly said from about ten feet away. She didn't want to shout from too far away; that would be rude. She also didn't want to leave Guy standing there much longer.

Guy turned around.

"Hey, Rem. You're outside?"

"Yes." Rem nodded her head. She finally stood next to Guy. "I had a doctor's appointment. My apologies for my tardiness."

"You're not late; I'm just early!" Guy placed his hands on his hips and laughed.

"My apologies nonetheless." Rem bowed her head. "I am not feeling well today, Might Guy. I am afraid that I must take the evening off from training. I am very sorry." Rem bowed her head again.

She looked at Guy's orange leg warmers. Rem frowned.

 _He is such a good man and I have done nothing but cause him trouble.._

Rem felt her eyes water.

"What's wrong?" Guy quietly asked.

Rem's head shot up.

"Nothing at all. Do not worry."

 _Even now I am causing him trouble._

"If you would excuse me, I must get some rest. Good day."

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow…?"

"Yes, Might Guy. Good day." Rem closed the door.

 _I've done nothing to hurt these good people._

Rem clutched her stomach. She was going to be sick.

Rem leaned against her counter and ran her fingers through her bangs. Her forehead felt hot. She attributed it to stress.

"Feeling sick?"

Rem's head shot up.

"Oh my goodness, it's you!" Rem smiled widely. "Haru! How are you?" Rem walked over to the tall man with open arms.

The man—Haru—was tall and gangly. His limbs almost looked out of control. He was at least seven feet tall. He was even taller than Might Guy. Haru must have been in his early 20's by now. He still had the acne he had through his teenage years.

Haru held out his hand. Rem cocked her head to the side.

"What's wrong, Haru?"

"Please don't make this harder on me than it already is…" Haru hung his head.

"Harder than what is?"

"I have to kill you."

Rem let out a slight gasp and she froze. The last phrase replayed over and over again in her mind. A moment later, Rem finally snapped out of it.

"What, Haru…"

"I'm sorry, Rem."

"But Haru, we grew up together. Remember all those times we had together at the orphanage. Haru, remember?"

"I'm sorry…"

"But why? Haru…"

"The masked man ordered me to. He saw you at the hospital today. He decided that you're a liability now. I'm sorry."

"I am a liability…? Haru, you know me. I would never expose this trade. I could never risk the children's lives. I was just volunteering at the hospital. Please. You have to believe me."

Haru sighed and pulled out a kunai.

"I'm sorry about this. Orders are orders."

"Why, why are you with him? Why are you a member of the masked man's gang?"

"I had to, Rem. I'm sorry. They're strong. I had to join up with them. There's no other way. You don't understand. You've worked at the kimono shop in town for the last three years. You don't know how bad it's gotten. You're not even there." Haru's hand was shaking.

"I do know how bad it is!" Rem shouted. She took a deep breath and lowered her voice. "They killed our parents. Remember? How could you forget so easily. It has only been four months…" Rem sighed. "Everything I have done I have done for the children and you. To keep you and them safe."

Haru scoffed. "I don't see you standing up to them." Haru leaned up against Rem's counter. "You're the one who gives them their drugs every week. If I remember correctly, you volunteered to take the drugs into your own shop."

"I had no other choice. You remember what happened when one of the kids accidentally ate it. I had to take the drugs into the shop. I cannot burn them or throw them in the water; I tried…" Rem looked down to the floor.

Haru's grip on the knife steadied. "I don't have another choice either. You of all people must understand." Haru walked closer to Rem, knife in hand.

"I'm sorry, Rem."

Rem took a step backwards.

"Please do not do this…" Rem pleaded. She took a step towards the door. Haru leapt in front of the door to block her path. Rem staggered out of the way.

"I'm sorry." Haru swung his knife at Rem. Rem leapt backwards. The knife cut the edge of her obi.

 _That was close. His limbs are so long. It's going to be hard to judge my distance here…_

"You don't want to do this!" Rem pleaded. Haru swung his knife again. Rem dodged it.

"Stop dodging." Haru swung his knife again. Rem dodged. "You're making this harder."

"I do not want to fight you but if I have to defend myself, I will, Haru." Rem warned.

Haru scoffed. "Alright. You defend yourself. We both know that's not going to end up well for you."

Haru threw a kunai at Rem. She leapt out of the way behind a blue kimono that was in display. The kunai went strait through the kimono and lodged itself in the wall behind Rem. Rem didn't even notice or care that her kimono was ripped; she had other priorities. Rem leapt up from the floor. Two more kunai knives were being thrown at her. She managed to dodge both of them.

Rem flipped over her tea table right as a kunai was to be lodged inside of her. The table acted as a shield.

Rem's tea set crashed down on the floor. Rem could hardly hear it because the blood rushing to her ears.

Nothing was being thrown at Rem anymore. Rem finally felt calm again. She could hear things besides the blood moving through her body. What she heard were footsteps slowly walking towards her. Rem picked up a kunai knife that was on the floor. Rem took a deep breath. The footsteps stopped. Rem looked up and she saw a kunai knife being lunged at her head. She moved her head out of the way but the knife lodged itself in her shoulder. Rem let out a cry of pain. Haru kicked Rem against the wall. Rem hit it hard.

Haru slowly walked over towards Rem.

"I'm so sorry Rem. For the sake of our childhood friendship, I'll make this quick." He lifted up the kunai knife once more.

Rem quickly lunged her knife into Haru's throat. He dropped his knife and staggered back, gripping his throat. He fell to his knees and then slumped over to the ground.

Rem felt her heart beating a mile a minute inside her. She was going to be sick. She couldn't slow down her breathing.

Rem fell to her hands and knees and crawled over to the dying man.

"Haru? Haru?" Rem grabbed his hand. "I am so sorry." Tears streamed down Rem's face.

Haru looked up at Rem. He opened his mouth and then closed it. "I'm sorry." Haru choked out. He smiled at Rem one last time and then the light faded from his eyes.

"Haru…" Rem cried. She buried her face in his chest. "I am so, so, sorry…"

After about ten minutes, Rem leaned up from Haru's body. She felt dizzy. Rem looked down at Haru.

 _All this blood. Oh Kami, I did this._

Blood was streaming from Rem's shoulder. She touched it and then looked at her hand. It was crimson.

Rem vomited on the floor.

 _I am going to pass out…_

Rem blinked. She didn't have long before she would pass out.

 _If they find Haru's body in the shop, they are going to kill the children._

Rem crawled over to the area where her sitting table used to be. A trail of blood lay in her wake. Rem pulled the floorboards out of the way. She crawled back over to Haru and pulled his body over to the floorboards.

 _I am sorry._

Rem kicked Haru into the cave below her shop. She cringed when she heard his body hit the floor with a 'thump.'

 _This is so disrespectful. I am sorry. There is no other choice right now._

Rem pushed the floorboards back into place. She went to go stand up but she fell back down on the floor.

Rem closed her eyes.

 _This is it. Hopefully the masked man will not hurt the children._

 _I am sorry…_


	19. Chapter 19

Guy fidgeted outside of Rem's shop. He knocked on the door. No answer. He knocked again. Rem missed her training session this afternoon. She looked like she was going to cry. She had a doctor's appointment that day. Something bad must have happened and Rem was Guy's friend. He saw her every day for months; he was genuinely worried.

Guy knocked again. There was still no answer.

Guy pondered opening the door. Part of him thought he should check in on her but part of him also didn't want to go infringe on her privacy.

Guy decided to open the door.

"Rem?" He asked. Guy turned the lights on in the shop. He saw ripped kimonos. Knives embedded in the walls. Turned over tables. Blood. Guy saw a lot of blood.

"…Rem?" Guy saw Rem slumped over against the wall. Dried blood was crusted over her violet kimono.

Guy ran up to Rem and put his hands on her neck to feel for a pulse. He felt her heartbeat. He let out a sigh of relief. He saw her chest rising and falling. Guy noticed that Rem was only asleep.

"Alright, let's get you upstairs."

Guy swooped down and picked Rem off up the floor. Rem stirred in Guy's arms.

"It's ok, Rem. I'm gonna bring you upstairs, you're gonna sleep this off, and then we'll get back to training tomorrow. It'll be ok."

"I...am sorry…" Rem mumbled to herself.

"It's ok, Rem."

Guy carried Rem up the stairs. He opened the door to her room above the shop and carefully laid her down in the bed. He considered changing her into clean clothes but then decided against it; he shouldn't disrobe her without her permission. Knowing Rem, she would be quite irate if he changed her and she would say that it's improper.

The ninja walked back downstairs and began to mop up all of the blood. The scene here was gruesome; there was blood splattered everywhere and it was concentrated in the area where Rem's sitting table used to be. Guy walked over to Rem's broom closet and pulled out a mop. Guy knew these blood stains would take awhile to get out; he was a ninja and was used to cleaning blood out of his clothes.

After only a few minutes of mopping, Guy already had to change the mop water; it was already bright red. After about twenty minutes, the floors were looking mostly spotless. They might not have been up to Rem's standards of cleanliness but few things were.

Guy put the mop away and he began pulling the kunai knives out of the walls. He counted twelve of them. Guy put the kunai knives on the counter top and he placed them on the counter. He looked back over at the shop. It looked…better? There were still rips in all of Rem's kimonos on display and her tea set was completely ruined. These things are all fixable though.

Guy walked back up the stairs and he peered over at Rem. She was still asleep. Guy recalled his promise—the promise that he would do 20,000 one-armed push-ups if any harm were to come to Rem.

He knelt down on the floor to start doing his push-ups.

"One…two...three...four…"

Guy did push-up after push-up. A few hours went by. Guy heard a stirring from the bed. He leapt up to his feet.

"Rem?"

Rem opened her eyes and looked up at Guy. He was looming over her bed.

"Might Guy?" Rem asked weakly. She went to push herself up to sit upright. She felt a sharp twinge in her shoulder and fell back into the bed. "I'm alive…" Rem flatly said. She had some mixed emotions; part of her was relieved to be alive but then the other part of her felt guilty.

 _I killed a man._

The earlier events of the day flashed back in Rem's mind. She remembered everything. The bloodshed. The stabbing. Haru. His death. How she killed him and threw his body below her shop.

Guy left the room and then returned a few minutes later with a sponge and some alcohol. He walked over to Rem and sat by the edge of her bed.

"Let me see your shoulder. I want to clean it a bit so it doesn't become infected."

"Of course." Rem pulled her hair back and exposed her shoulder. Guy wiped away some of the blood.

"You're lucky you're alive; one of your major arteries almost got it." Guy put some rubbing alcohol on her wound. Rem winced. "It's ok; it'll only sting for a minute." Guy put a bandage over Rem's wound.

After a moment of silence, Guy finally spoke up.

"So who did this to you? I won't let his unyouthful activities go unpunished!" Guy clenched his fist.

"He will not be bothering me anymore." Rem hung her head.

"Oh, so what happened?"

 _I made a mistake…_

"It is private."

"Rem, please, I'm your friend. You can tell me."

Rem pulled her legs close to her body. "I am sorry, Might Guy. I am sorry for everything. I have been a huge burden to you and Kakashi Hatake. You have my utmost apology." Rem muttered through her knees.

Guy patted Rem on the back. "It's ok. You're not a burden, Rem. I like training you every day. You work so hard. I think you're a good person and I want to help you."

Rem burst into tears.

"I am…really not." Rem choked out through her tears.

"Not what?"

"A good person. I am not a good person. I am not." Rem choked out. She quickly wiped away her tears. "I am so, so, sorry."

Guy gently rubbed Rem's back.

"Tell me, Rem. I'll help you. I made a promise to help you, remember?"

Rem paused. Tears continued to stream down her face.

 _It looks like I have no other choice…_

"If I tell you this, do you promise not to take any actions right away, no matter how much you want to?"

Guy nodded his head. He silently gave Rem a 'thumbs-up' sign. "I promise."

Rem took a deep breath. "I am the reason those ninja are sick." Rem looked down at her hands. She clenched her hands together.

Guy was silent. Rem couldn't tell what he was thinking. She couldn't look her in the eye to read his emotions.

 _Am I making a mistake in trusting him?_

Rem took a breath again. "When I was younger, my parents ran an orphanage on the outskirts of town. They were scientists and wealthy and wanted to give back to the community. They were good people.." Rem's voice trailed off. "Things were great for a long time. I had a happy childhood. I always liked arts and crafts and I loved sewing gowns for the other children so three years ago I opened up a kimono shop. My parents were so proud of me for opening a shop in town. They helped me finance my shop, actually."

Rem paused. Guy still said nothing.

"At any rate, things were great the first few years. I went home to visit my parents every weekend. Things were great until _he_ showed up. The masked man." Rem shuttered. "About six months ago the masked man showed up with about fifteen of his…brutes. They took an interest in my parents' home and the orphanage because of their science lab. They told my parents that they would kill the children if my parents did not allow them access to the science lab. My parents let them use the lab. This went on for awhile. They made drugs using the lab. One day one of the children got curious and ate some of the drugs and…and…" Rem's eye's started welling again. "He did not make it…" Rem hung her head. "After that, my parents tried to destroy the drugs. Nothing seemed to work though. The drugs could not be burned or flushed. They just would not go away. My parents and I devised a plan. We managed to smuggle the drugs into my kimono shop by putting the drugs in with my fabrics. I have a secret cavern below the shop and that is where we put all of the drugs."

Rem paused and looked down at the floor. Tears continued to stream down her face. "When the masked man found out he…he…he…killed my parents. Ever since then, a member of his gang has come to my shop every week to collect some of the drugs. He always brings one of the kids as an…insurance." Rem frowned and gripped the edge of her yukata. "The masked man sends letters to me every once and awhile to torment me. When I met you several months ago, he attacked me for talking with ninja…

"When that happened, I thought that I needed to get stronger in case the masked man tried to attack me or the children again. I worked so hard…I thought that I could save the children…"

Rem's voice trailed off.

"I felt so, so guilty about the ninja. I really do not hate ninja. I thought that I did, but I really just hated the masked man and his gang. I never wanted any of this to happen. I didn't want anyone to get sick…" Rem gulped. "I went to the hospital to volunteer today. I was hoping that I could mitigate some of the damage. I was spotted there at the hospital and the gang sent someone out to kill me. Haru. He grew up in the orphanage with me but decided to join the gang instead. He went at me with a knife. I did not know what to do. I…I…I killed a man." Rem froze. "I did not want to kill him but I did. I pushed his body into the cellar and then I passed out. From there, you found me.

"I am so, so, sorry. If you hate me, I completely understand."

Rem bit her lip.

Guy was still silent. 

"I am so sorry, Might Guy."

She felt a firm hand pat her on the back. Guy exhaled deeply.

"I don't hate you, Rem."

Rem looked up at Guy. He seemed so serious. Usually he was so energetic and focused on training. He usually had a light-heartedness about him but now he seemed severe.

"How do you not hate me?"

"People make mistakes. That doesn't make you a bad person though."

"I am not a good person. I am a coward. If I were a good person, I would not have gotten you involved in any of this."

"You can't be expected to take on the world's burdens by yourself."

"I do not know what to do. Before, I was planning on not taking any action and just waiting for the masked man to sell all of the drugs. That was until today. That is now no longer an option. The masked man wants me dead. I fear that he will harm the children once he finds out that I am alive."

"I won't let that happen!" Guy stood up. He gave Rem his 'thumbs up.'

"This is my burden and my burden alone, Might Guy."

"No, it's not. Rem, I can help you. Kakashi, Lee, and I can help you fight. You may be a stronger fighter now, but you can't take on a whole ninja gang by yourself."

"Might Guy, you might get hurt though."

Guy laughed. "That's a risk I'm willing to take. I'm a jounin, remember? I'm a lot stronger than people give me credit for."

Rem paused. "Alright. You can help me. Please do not go without me. I will be ready to fight in a few days. Can you do that?"

"I promise."

Once again, tears were coming to Rem's eyes. "Thank you." She whispered. Rem grabbed Guy by the waist and buried her head in his chest.

Guy gently patted Rem on the back.

Rem gripped Guy harder. Her shoulder felt like it was on fire but she didn't care. Rem felt so safe in Guy's arm. He's been so kind to her; he's helped train her every day. He's always been pushing her to be her best self—to be stronger.

Heat was rising to Rem's face. Was she blushing? Rem breathed in the scent of Guy's musk. She rested her head on his chest.

At that moment, Rem came to a very powerful realization—the most powerful realization a person could ever come to. Rem realized that she loved Guy.


	20. Chapter 20

Rem nuzzled her head in Guy's strong, muscular chest. She felt so safe and comfortable.

 _I have been brave once today. I shall be brave again._

She tilted her head up and and gently kissed Guy on the cheek. It was a soft and gentle kiss.

Guy pulled back.

Rem blushed.

"My apologies…" She noticed that Guy was blushing as well. "I thought that you might have had some romantic feelings for me."

"It's not that I don't…" Guy rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "It's just that you just had a really traumatic day and I don't want to take advantage of that."

"It is not that I am in a vulnerable state, Might Guy. You are a kind man and you have treated me well for the last few months without any alternative motives. It is only natural that I develop feelings for you." The kimono maker bit her lip. She felt utterly embarrassed.

"It's not that I don't like you, it's just not right for me to take advantage of a person in your situation." Guy grinned and gave Rem a 'thumbs up' sign. "I will take you on a proper date when this is all said-and-done."

Rem nodded her head.

Rem was unsure if this was a subtle rejection or if Guy really did like her and really was going to take her out on a date later. She trusted that he was a man of his word.

 _I guess I will just have to take what he has to say at face value…_

Rem bit her lip again and looked down at her hands. Guy took her hand and gently squeezed it.

"It is the middle of the night, Might Guy. We will be busy during these next couple of days. We must rest now. Good night."

Rem turned her head to the side and closed her eyes.

"Goodnight, Rem, I will see you tomorrow night." Guy closed the door behind him and walked down stairs.

Once Guy left, Rem pushed herself out of bed. Her shoulder still felt like it was on fire but Rem did not want to sleep with Haru's blood tangled up in her hair. She slowly peeled her yukata off and gingerly stepped into the hot shower.

Rem felt so embarrassed. Rejected. After stepping out of the shower, she looked at herself in the mirror. Was it because her chest was too flat? Her limbs too bony? Was it her slightly crooked nose?

Rem frowned.

 _Might Guy is not that shallow. There must be something wrong with my personality._

Rem thought about her past behavior.

 _I am a coward. A selfish coward._ Tears streamed down her face. _I am weak too._

Rem wiped her tears and then put on a bathrobe. She decided that she has been awake for too long; some sleep will make her feel better.

Rem walked over to the bed, crawled between the sheets, and closed her eyes.


	21. Chapter 21

Rem felt better the next morning. Sleeping drastically improved her mood. Rem decided to wear a black kimono. It seemed fitting, considering the circumstances.

Rem walked downstairs to her shop. Everything looked mostly clean. Some of her kimonos were ripped but there was no blood on the floors. She looked at her counter top and saw a pile of kunai knives on the table. Rem shuddered.

There was a slight odor in the air.

Rem remembered Haru's corpse was below her shop.

 _If I manage to place Haru's corpse in the woods and make it seem like bandits attacked him, I could have a few extra days to prepare to strike the masked man's gang._

Rem knelt over and pulled the floorboards out of the way. She brought some linens with her when she crawled into her cellar.

She saw Haru's body lying there on the floor. Rem wrapped his body in the linens and then dragged his body out of the crawl space. She had a wheel barrel out back. She put the body in the wheel barrel and then more linens on top.

She stood back and examined the wheel barrel from every angle. This did not look suspicious.

Rem took the wheel barrel and pushed it to the outskirts of town. She looked around and saw that there were no witnesses near by. She quickly dumped the body onto the ground, put the linens in the wheel barrel, and skirted off back into town.

When she arrived back at her shop, she saw Kakashi standing outside her shop.

"Just dropping by." Kakashi waived.

Rem put the wheel barrel back behind her shop. She wiped the sweat off her brow.

"How may I help you, Kakashi Hitake?"

"I see you got attacked last night."

"Did Guy tell you?"

"No. I just saw the bandage on your neck and shoulder."

"Oh."

"But I am curious, what does Guy have to do with all this."

Rem shifted her weight.

"He helped me last night. That is all."

"Does it have something to do with the drug trade that you have been running through your shop?"

Rem froze.

"How…"

"How do I know?" Kakashi smiled from underneath his mask. "Oh, it's obvious. The different visitors coming to your shop every week, the letters you get, your conversation with Kiba—oh, the boy in the hospital. Last but not least, the stockpile of drugs that you have underneath your shop." Kakashi folded his arms.

"Why did you not say anything?"

"There are other actors involved here. I could figure that much out, at least. I thought that it would be best to take a step back. For now."

Rem looked down at the floor.

"Guy and I plan to attack them."

"Who's 'them?'"

"The drug gang. They are taking my siblings hostage."

"So what is this plan of attack?"

"After my shoulder recovers, Guy and I are going to storm the orphanage and wipe out the drug gang."

Kakashi leaned against the façade of Rem's shop.

"I'll join."

"Thank you." Rem bowed her head. "Why are you helping me?"

"Oh, it's not for you, it's for the village. These contaminated food pills have proven to be quite…problematic. We ninja need a guarantee that our food pills will be safe. The more ninja addicted to food pills, the less ninja we have available to complete missions."

"Regardless of your motives, you have my gratitude."

Kakashi chuckled.

"I'll see you around."

With that, Kakashi vanished in a cloud of smoke.


	22. Chapter 22

Rem spent the rest of her day methodically sharpening the kunai knives that were left on the counter of her shop. She didn't know the first thing about preparing for battle but she figured this was the least she could do.

Rem donned the ninja outfit that she made especially for training. She was ready for battle. Or, as ready as she would ever be. Tomorrow would be the day that she would face the masked man.

Surprisingly, she was not all that nervous. She spent the greater part of the last month in terror but now, the day before the fight, she felt calm and ready. This chapter of her life was finally coming to a close. She still worried about Guy and Kakashi. What if something happened to them? Oddly enough, Rem did not think that would happen. She knew that everything would be ok.

She heard a knock at the door.

Rem quickly walked over and opened the door.

She saw Guy, Lee, and Kakashi standing outside her shop. Rem gestured for them to enter.

"You may enter. My apologies; I do not have any refreshments to offer you."

"That is ok!" Lee seemed to be his cheerful self. "Guy Sensei has told me everything. We are here to fight the drug gang and save your orphanage!"

"Wait, Lee, we're just here to strategize for now."

"Yes, Guy Sensei!"

Rem gestured to her sitting area. Besides the stab marks in the wood, it looked mostly the same.

Kakashi crossed his legs and pulled out his book. "I think we should attack tomorrow night. We'll catch them off-guard then."

"Good idea. I would expect nothing less from my eternal rival."

"Oh, did you say something?" Kakashi looked up from his book.

Rem smiled; she appreciated their antics. Then she remembered that there's a possibility they could all be slaughtered tomorrow. The smile was instantly wiped off her face.

"Please be very careful tomorrow." Rem solemnly stated. "If you encounter any danger, please just take the children and run."

"It's ok, Rem. We know what we're doing." Kakashi dismissively said.

"Don't worry about us, we'll be fine." Guy laughed.

Rem noticed that Guy seemed relaxed. He wasn't acting awkward towards her or anything.

"Right." Rem paused. "I want to fight as well."

"Seeing as this as partially your responsibility, I would expect nothing less." Kakashi said.

Rem bit her lip.

"Relax, Kakashi." Guy put his hand up. Lee looked utterly confused at the whole situation. "We will meet tomorrow night here at the shop at at 9. Rem, you can lead the way."

"Alright." Rem nodded her head.

"I need to make some preparations. See you tomorrow." Kakashi snapped his book shut, stood up, and walked out of the door.

"I shall go too." Lee followed Kakashi's example and left the shop. His walk was a bit clumsier than Kakashi's.

Rem and Guy were alone in the shop. Rem felt herself blushing. She tapped her nails against her wooden table.

Rem felt heat rise to her faise. She looked out the window; she really didn't want to make eye contact with Guy.

"About last night…" Guy began to speak.

Rem raised her hands up. "Do not worry about it; forget it ever happened."

"I don't want to, Rem."

"I know that you are not romantically interested in me and that is ok. I owe you a great debt with helping me take down the drug gang." Rem continued to stare out the window. It was a lovely evening outside.

"I like you, Rem."

Rem turned around and looked at Guy. He was smiling at her.

Rem felt her heart skip a beat.

"Why?" She spat out.

"You work hard and you care about the people in your life. Seeing you work so hard to protect your family has really inspired me."

Rem blushed. "I like you too." She smiled at Guy twirled her hair with her fingers. "Honestly, I did not think that you liked me very much…I know Kakashi does not particularly care for me."

"No, I do like you. I didn't want to take advantage of your vulnerable state though. When this is all said and done, I'd like to take you to Ichiraku's." Guy gave Rem a 'thumbs up.'

"I would like that very much."

Guy reached over the table and squeezed Rem's hand. Rem smiled and blushed. She stood up and walked over over to Guy and gently touched his arm; she couple feel the ripples of his muscles from under his jump suit.

Guy stood up and put his hands on Rem's waist. Rem blushed as Guy gently stroked her hair. Guy leaned down and gave Rem a swift peck on her forehead.

"I need to make some preparations for tomorrow's fight. I'll see you tomorrow." Guy smiled and then walked out the door.

Rem let out a light, happy sigh. When Rem went to wash her floors that night, she felt a mix between joy and dread. She was glad to have a romantic relationship with Guy but she was dreading tomorrow's battle. She has gained so much but she had so much to lose.


	23. Chapter 23

Rem hardly slept that night. The whole day next day at work she had the jitters. Swinging from feeling euphoric to terrified really took a toll on her. She looked forward to tomorrow when she could return to her state of content. It's been months since she lived without fear in her life.

The clock seemed to stand still that day. After what felt like years passing, Rem heard a knock at the door.

Rem ripped the door open.

"We're ready." Kakashi stated. Guy and Lee were behind him.

"Let us go." Rem said. She fidgeted with the kunai knives in her pockets.

The four of them leapt through the trees. Rem was running faster than normal.

"Slow down. You don't want to waste too much energy." Kakashi stated.

"Yes, you are right." Rem slowed down her pace.

"Relax, it's going to be fine." Kakashi said.

"Thank you."

The four of them continued to run. Eventually, the path started to get more familiar to her.

"We're getting close." Rem whispered.

Rem looked over at the giant house in the clearing. She was glad to be home, although it looked worse than it did before. She was amazed by how quickly the house has deteriorated in four months. The house's paint was starting to peel off and the garden desperately needed weeding. The chemistry lab that was attached to the house looked like it was in pristine condition.

Rem threw her hand up to motion for the three ninja to stop.

"We're here." Rem whispered. "The chemistry lab-the building with the metal exterior-is where the masked man's gang is hiding, I assume. The children are in the house."

"How many children are there?"

"Six."

"How many gang members are there?"

"I think around fifteen. I am not sure though; their numbers might have grown."

Kakashi closed his one visible eye. "Alright." He paused. "Rem, you go into the house and escort the children to safety. Guy, Lee, and I will go into the lab to clean out the gang and to destroy the lab."

Rem nodded her head. "Please be careful."

Guy smiled. "I have something" He rummaged through his bag and pulled out some strange electronic device. Rem squinted. "It's so we can all communicate with each other." Guy put the strange device up to his ear and clipped it onto his shinobi vest. Lee and Kakashi followed suit. Guy handed one of the devices over to Rem. She gingerly picked it up and put it in her ear and clipped it on to her yukata just in case it fell off.

"Testing!" Lee shouted.

His voice sounded like a horn blowing in Rem's ear. She nearly fell over.

"Turn down he volume!" Guy shouted. Rem winced.

"No one shout, please." Rem whispered, clutching her poor, damaged, ear.

Lee and Guy both turned down the volume on their head phones. Kakashi and Rem exchanged knowing glances.

"Let's move out!" Guy pointed at the house. "We'll crush them with the power of youth!"

"Yes, Guy Sensei!"

The four of them quietly crept over to the house. They eventually parted ways. Rem watched Guy, Lee, and Kakashi sneak over into the giant, metal chemistry lab. Rem slowly pushed open the door to the house. It creaked a little.

It was pitch black inside. Rem slowly tiptoed across the floorboards, praying that they wouldn't squeak. She made her way across the living room and saw he children sleeping on the floor in sleeping bags.

Rem frowned. In her parents day they had their own rooms right above the chemistry lab. The masked man's gang must have taken over those rooms.

Rem's eyes scanned over the children.

 _One...two...three..four...five...six. All of the children are accounted for._

Rem tapped Maya on the shoulder. "Maya." Rem whispered. "I am here to rescue you and the others. Follow me but do not make a sound."

Maya nodded her head. She leaned up and hugged Rem.

Rem repeated the message to the other children. Soon enough, six sleepy bodies rose from the ground.

"Remember, please be quiet." Rem whispered. She crept over to the door.

The light flickered on. Rem's eyes widened.

"Hi, baby, miss me?"

Rem quickly spun around on the balls of her feet. She saw him sitting nonchalantly on the chair. Rem was face-to-face with _him._ The masked man.


	24. Chapter 24

Rem fumbled through her pockets in search of her kunai knives. She felt nothing.

 _Where did I put them?_

"Looking for these?" The masked man held Rem's satchel up in the air. Rem gulped.

"Get back." Rem warned the children. She took a step towards the masked man and extended her arms out in front of the children.

Rem locked eyes with the masked man and raised her hands in front of her face, like Guy taught her. The masked man scoffed.

"Oh, you're gonna fight me. That's cute." He slowly walked towards Rem. Rem felt her knees shaking with fear. She tried not to show her fear outwardly. "You do know that you're supposed to be dead, right?"

Rem remained silent. She did not look away.

"Oh well. I'll finish the job that Haru started." He pulled out one of Rem's kunai knives. "You know what, you have spunk. I'll kill you first. Then I'll kill the kids."

"You will do no such thing." Rem reached over to her head set. The masked man threw a knife at Rem's ear. It barely missed her ear but it managed to puncture the device that Guy had given her earlier that night. The sharp sound of static started to ring in Rem's ear. She quickly ripped off the speaker.

"Ah, calling for backup? That's cheating, baby."

"You are the one who stole my knives."

The masked man scoffed. "Well, I'll just have to I've them back to you then!" He hurled a knife over at Rem. She leapt out of the way.

"Leave at once!" Rem shouted to the children. The petrified group hurried out the door.

"Be careful, Auntie Rem..." Maya whispered.

Rem heard the door click behind her. She reached her hand out towards the wall and pulled the kunai knife out of it.

The masked man was standing there with his arms folded. Was he taunting her?

Rem gulped.

 _It is just like sparring with Guy. No big deal. I can do this. No big deal. I can do this. I just need to not get killed, right? Ninjas do this all the time. I can do this._

Rem inhaled sharply and ran over to the masked man, knife in hand. She swung the knife out. The masked man expertly dodged it. She swing again. He dodged again.

"Now it's my turn!" The masked man threw out three kunai knives at once. Rem brought her hands up to cover her face. She managed to dodge two of the three kunai knives. The third cut her right arm.

Rem bit her lip. She shook her right arm.

 _Good. I still have mobility in my right arm._

"It looks like you can dodge things a it better." The masked man started moving his hands about in a rapid manner.

 _Is he using ninjutsu?_

Rem then saw something absolutely terrifying. It looked like 100 daggers were floating in mid-air. Her eyes widened. She knew there was no way that she could dodge all of these.

"Before you kill me, could you please tell me why you are doing this..."

"For money and power. What else?" He shrugged. "Now I'll kill you."

Rem saw all 100 daggers flying towards her face. She knew that there was no way she could dodge this.

Rem closed her eyes.

 _This is it._

"Dynamic entry!"

Rem heard the sound of knives clattering on the ground. She opened her eyes and saw Might Guy standing before her. He grinned at Rem and his teeth seemed to sparkle. He gave her a thumbs-up.

Rem exhaled.

"You have impeccable timing, Might Guy."

"I tried to radio in and I didn't receive a response. That alerted me to come and get you."

"What about the other ninja."

"Kakashi and Lee are taking care of them now. They're almost wiped out but there are about five that ran off somewhere."

"You must find them and finish the job. Please. The children are outside; I do not want to see them get hurt. I can take this man on myself."

"Rem…"

"Might Guy, please protect the children."

Guy nodded his head. "Alright. Be careful."

Guy leapt out the window. Rem spun around and looked at the masked man.

"Ah, we're alone at last." The man chuckled. "No kiss goodbye? This will be the last time you'll see him."

"We will see about that." Rem put herself into a guard stance once again.

 _Alright. What can I do…? I can kick and punch, throw a knife, and I know the transformation jutsu…_

Rem bit her lip. Her eyes scanned the room.

 _What can I use here…_

Her eyes landed on a bottle of sake and a still, burning cigarette. She ran over and grabbed the bottle along with a nearby rag and cigarette.

Rem frantically stuffed the rag in the bottle and lit the edge of the rag with a cigarette. She had no talent for ninjutsu so this is the closest she knew she would ever come to a fire-style jutsu. She hurled the bottle with all of her might at the masked man. The bottle missed him but hit the curtains that he was standing nearby. The curtains burst into flames.

The masked man leapt out of the way of the fire and ran towards Rem, knife in hand.

Rem grabbed another bottle that was sitting on the countertop. She broke the bottle against the counter top so she had a makeshift weapon. She swung it at the masked man. She missed. She swung again. She missed again.

"Ah!"

She felt a blinding pain in her stomach. With her free hand, she grabbed it. Her vision began to get spotty.

She looked down. Blood was starting to emerge from her torso.

Rem collapsed to the ground. The masked man slowly walked over to Rem. He clutched a knife and chuckled.

"I'm impressed, baby. You put up quite a fight. This is it for you though." He knelt down and placed the knife to her throat. "Goodbye, baby."

With the last of Rem's strength, she grabbed the bottle she had and trusted it into his neck. Blood splattered onto her.

The masked man clutched his neck and collapsed onto the ground. After a minute, he stopped moving.

Rem breathed a sigh of relief.

 _It is over…finally over…_

She tried to stand up. Her vision got spottier and she collapsed against the wall and slid down again. She felt heat coming towards her. She watched as the masked man's body got engulfed in flames. The same fire would soon enfulf her too.

Rem crawled over to the door. It was hard for her to crawl though. Her vision began to darken and soon everything faded to black.


	25. The Final Chapter

There was a warm tingly sensation on Rem's stomach. Se couldn't open her eyes yet but she smiled at the warmth. She felt the pain starting to fade away from her. Fading, fading, fading.

Rem slowly opened her eyes. She saw Kakashi standing over her and a green aura was coming from her stomach.

"She's awake!" Guy shouted.

Lee breathed a sigh of relief.

Rem could hear the children crying. "Auntie Rem! Auntie Rem!" She felt her arms and legs being tugged at. She looked over and saw Maya, Dasuke, and all the others crying and grabbing onto her. "You're alive, Auntie Rem!"

"Give her space." Kakashi instructed.

Rem looked around.

 _One…two...three...four…five…six…Kakashi…Lee…Guy. Everyone is accounted for._

Rem smiled and then looked up at the sky.

"Thank you…" She whispered to Kakashi.

"You're welcome. Don't worry about it." Kakashi did not even look Rem in the eye. He was still focusing his chakra onto Rem's stomach. "I'm glad everything worked out for you. I really am."

"…Guy…Lee…thank…you…" Rem chocked out. Tears were streaming down her face. She turned her head to the side and saw her childhood home burn to the ground.

 _I suppose I have enough room for six more at my shop. I will just have to work that much harder._

She felt the warmth from her stomach fade. Kakashi stood up. "She's going to need to get to a hospital, but she'll live."

"Alright!" Guy knelt down and slowly picked Rem up. Rem nuzzled her head into Guy's chest.

"Guy, you get Rem to a hospital. Lee and I will bring the children to the village."

"Bring them to my shop." Rem whispered. "I will take care of them…"

Rem looked back. She saw Kakashi, Lee, and the six children fade into the distance. She looked up at Guy.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." Guy grinned at her.

"No, thank you…" Tears came to eyes once more. "Thank you for always believing in me…and for helping me…be my best self. I am a…better person for knowing you, Might Guy."

Guy blushed. "Don't worry, Rem. It was in you all along. You're the one who went to practice every day and you're the one who fought the masked man. Who was he, anyways?"

"I do not know…It does not matter anyways. He is gone now."

"You're right."

"I will never forget what you did for me, Might Guy. Thank you."

"Really, don't worry about it." Guy smiled sheepishly.

Rem's eyelids felt heavy.

"Might Guy, I must rest now. Thank you…" Rem drifted off to sleep with a smile on her face. For once, she rested peacefully.

 _Fin._

* * *

 _Author's Note: Hello, everyone. Thank you so much for reading my story. I appreciate that you liked it enough to make it all the way to the very end. Special thanks to those who have reviewed; your words are all very touching. Thanks again, everyone!_


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